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New Mexico relaunches investigation into Epstein-owned ranch
State prosecutors in New Mexico announced Friday they are reopening a criminal investigation into Zorro Ranch, a property once owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after newly surfaced allegations in U.S. Department of Justice records.
Prosecutors seek unredacted files
The New Mexico Attorney General's Office said it will request full access to unredacted Epstein files held by federal investigators in Washington, D.C., specifically those related to Zorro Ranch. The move follows the state's decision to revive an inquiry that was paused in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York.
Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019, was never charged with crimes in New Mexico. However, state officials confirmed in 2019 that they had interviewed potential victims who visited the ranch.
Truth commission joins effort
Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated on social media that his office will conduct a "broad and comprehensive" review of the ranch, collaborating with a newly formed bipartisan truth commission established by state lawmakers this week. The four-member panel is examining allegations that Zorro Ranch may have been used to facilitate sexual abuse and sex trafficking.
"We are learning that there may have been reports to the FBI, as early as 2019 or before, about bodies being buried and individuals being trafficked,"
State Representative Andrea Romero of Santa Fe
Allegations of buried bodies and trafficking
On Wednesday, state officials disclosed they are investigating a 2019 email, part of a recent release of Epstein-related files, which claimed Epstein ordered the burial of two foreign girls' bodies outside the ranch. Reuters reported that U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is also seeking an unredacted copy of the email, which was sent anonymously.
Lawmakers on the commission are also questioning why Epstein never registered as a sex offender in New Mexico despite his 2008 guilty plea in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Victims' accounts and property details
Several women have previously alleged they were recruited and abused by Epstein at Zorro Ranch, describing the property as central to his sex-trafficking operations. Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico told the BBC the ranch's isolated location and expansive landscape made it an ideal site for illicit activities.
"We have heard very disturbing reports of some of the activity going on there. We know that there are horrible things that occurred at that ranch."
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez
Located south of Santa Fe, the ranch spans nearly 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) and features a 21,000-square-foot mansion, a private airstrip, and a helipad. Epstein purchased the property in 1993 from former New Mexico Governor Bruce King and later leased an additional 1,250 acres of state land. The state canceled the leases in 2019 after determining Epstein used the land as a privacy buffer rather than for agricultural purposes.
Current ownership and next steps
Zorro Ranch is now owned by former Texas state Senator Don Huffines, who acquired the property from Epstein's estate in 2023. Huffines pledged to donate proceeds from the sale to Epstein's victims. The truth commission and state prosecutors are expected to continue gathering evidence in the coming weeks.
