Inner Circle Member Details Arrest of NXIVM’s Leader in Mexico

Epoch Times: NEW YORK—In dramatic testimony on May 21, a former member who was part of NXIVM leader Keith Raniere’s inner circle detailed how federal police surrounded Raniere’s Mexico hideout to arrest him in 2018—and how the “grandmaster” tried to hide in a walk-in closet rather than protect her.

Lauren Salzman, 42, told jurors in a Brooklyn federal court that she and Raniere were alone in a bedroom in the Puerto Vallarta house, where other female inner-circle members were also present, when authorities suddenly showed up to arrest him. She recounted that her first instinct was to protect Raniere.

Salzman is the daughter of the group’s president, Nancy Salzman; both have pleaded guilty to related charges, as have the other three co-defendants.

Raniere, 58, sat at the top of the pyramid scheme group, which presented itself as a self-help organization. He is accused of having sexual “slaves” as part of an internal secret society called DOS, an acronym for the Latin phrase “dominus obsequious sororium,” which loosely translates as “master over the slave women.” He has been charged for sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, among other crimes.

Wearing a white top and black pants, Salzman, who appeared melancholy throughout her testimony, broke down in tears at times as she described her experiences in the group; her long-term relationship with Raniere, buoyed by his promise of having a baby with her; her role in keeping another member locked up in a room for two years; and her lies to the public as a spokeswoman for the group. read more