Epstein kept a secret garden of toxic plants that turn people into ‘zombies,’ emails show

Jeffrey Epstein’s recently released emails suggest he was interested in potentially poisonous plants that eliminate free will.

In a March 3, 2014 email to a person identified as Ann Rodriguez, Epstein wrote: ‘Ask Chris about my trumpet plants at the nursery [SIC]?’, a line indicating that he has Angel’s Trumpet plants.

Also known as ‘Devil’s Breath’, the flowering shrub contains scopolamine, a powerful psychoactive compound that can cause serious effects on the nervous system.

Scopolamine interferes with the brain’s memory system by blocking key receptors in the central nervous system. In high doses it can make a person suggestible and almost catatonic.

In a separate email dated January 27, 2015, apparently forwarded by a photographer, a message to Epstein bore the subject line: ‘Scopolamine: A powerful drug grown in the jungles of Colombia that eliminates free will | Daily Mail Online.’

The article, which also included VICE’s news, included interviews with alleged drug dealers explaining the effects of the substance. One interviewee claimed the drug could make victims compliant, saying: ‘You can direct them wherever you want. “It’s like they’re kids.”

A third email, sent in 2022 and labeled ‘victim impact statement’, contains Joseph Manzaro describing an incident in December 2014 in which he was allegedly administered scopolamine.

In a March 3, 2014 email to a person identified as Ann Rodriguez, Epstein wrote: ‘Ask Chris about my trumpet plants at the nursery [SIC]?’

The emails were released by the Justice Department on Jan. 30 as part of a tranche of nearly 3.5 million documents.

References to trumpet plants suggest that Epstein was at least somewhat interested in their effects.

Perhaps most concerning to victims and investigators is that scopolamine can evade standard toxicology screenings, making it difficult to detect after the fact.

Angel’s Trumpet is a flowering plant with large, trumpet-shaped flowers and a sweet scent, but it is also abused for its psychoactive properties.

The flowers and leaves can be smoked, ingested, or made into a tea, with effects generally beginning within 30 to 60 minutes of exposure.

Scopolamine is a naturally occurring compound found in plants such as Brugmansia and Datura.

In clinical settings, it is used in controlled doses to treat motion sickness and other conditions by blocking acetylcholine receptors in the brain and nervous system.

Apart from medical use, media reports have linked the drug to cases of extreme disorientation, memory loss, and increased suggestibility.

The emails were released by the Justice Department on Jan. 30 as part of a tranche of nearly 3.5 million documents linked to Epstein.

There is no evidence that Epstein used the drug, and it remains unclear whether the drug played any role in his activities.

A Daily Mail article referenced in the emails included reports from Colombia, where Brugmansia plants are common.

VICE journalist Ryan Duffy traveled to the country to investigate the underground trade, interviewing alleged dealers and people who said they had been drugged.

A seller who identified herself as Demencia Black said the substance was easy to administer and claimed it turned people into full-blown zombies.

The third Epstein dossier, which included a ‘victim impact statement’, described an incident in December 2014 in which Manzaro claimed he was drugged with scopolamine, a tropane alkaloid produced by various plants, including trumpet plants.

The description mentions scopolamine, and the author claims that one of the people driving him said: ‘I gave him a lot of that scopolamine!’

He goes on to explain that he is experiencing memory loss and excessive sleepiness.

Hundreds of prominent names are named in the documents and Pam Bondi says no one has been prevented from coming out publicly to avoid ’embarrassment’.

One of the high-profile names most frequently mentioned in the documents is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whose name is mentioned thousands of times.

Andrew was taken into custody on Thursday after being held on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It can be held free of charge for 24 hours.