Authorities raided a storage unit rented by Thomas Markle Sr. in Rosarito, Mexico, just hours after a published report claimed the unit contained child sexual abuse material. Markle Sr., 82, has denied the allegations, and no charges have been filed against him.
As reported by TMZ, Mexican police officers who identified themselves as sex crimes investigators were seen going through items inside the unit early Saturday morning. Guardia Nacional officers confiscated a computer, several thumb drives, VHS tapes, and magazines.
The rental unit is located three miles from Markle Sr.’s former home in Rosarito. The raid followed a separate report by the Daily Mail, as relayed by The Daily Beast, that alleged abuse material was found inside the unit, though those claims have not been independently verified.
The Mexico raid is tied to a wider investigation
Officials in the Philippines are also reviewing evidence in their own criminal investigation of Markle Sr. As detailed by International Business Times, that probe began after Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan Markle’s 60-year-old half-brother, made a sworn statement to child protection officers in Cebu City alleging he discovered “hundreds, if not thousands” of images and videos among his father’s belongings.
Thomas Jr. has agreed to surrender four cardboard boxes for forensic examination. He claims he found the material while looking through the boxes for a spare phone, when a video played on an old handset. He also said another image appeared to have been taken in a room he recognized from his father’s previous home in Rosarito.
Thomas Jr. says he first reported his discovery on July 10 to the FBI’s tip line, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Pennsylvania state police, as his father was living in Pennsylvania at the time. He said he didn’t hear back, and weeks later went through the rest of the boxes with a local IT technician. He claims they found three hard drives and several books that allegedly contained abuse material.
“When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad. I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years, but that stops now,” Thomas Jr. said. He added, “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
The FBI has reportedly acknowledged receiving Thomas Jr.’s affidavit, and one of its agents has requested contact details for the Cebu investigators. A source close to the case said, “Thomas Markle Snr is a US citizen, he is currently living in the US and may be linked to alleged offences committed on US soil.”
Markle Sr., a retired television lighting director, moved to Cebu in January 2025, with Thomas Jr., his caregiver since a 2022 stroke, living a few doors away. After a blood clot led to the amputation of his left leg in December 2025, Markle Sr. was flown back to the U.S. in May 2026, leaving the four boxes in storage.
His elder daughter, Samantha Markle, 61, who has been supporting him at a rehabilitation center in the U.S., said on Oct. 22, “There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever, and my brother is disgusting for making them up.” She also claimed her brother “first came out with these lies a few weeks ago when the cash from my dad was cut off.”
Samantha noted that the computers were packed in Mexico, shipped to the Philippines, and had reportedly been out of her father’s possession for two years. “There is no proof my dad downloaded any images,” she said. Thomas Jr. hasn’t publicly responded to his sister’s accusations.
Meghan has been estranged from her father since May 2018, and she and Prince Harry recently returned to the UK after six years away. Until this week, Thomas Jr. had sided with his father against Meghan, attacking her in YouTube videos as recently as December 2025.
There is no timeline yet for the forensic examination of the boxes. Markle Sr. has denied possessing any abuse material and has said he has never had sexual contact with anyone underage.
Published: Oct 31, 2026 05:30 pm