New Mexico’s top prosecutor has launched a fresh criminal investigation into activities at Jeffrey Epstein’s former ranch, citing newly released federal documents that contain previously undisclosed information about the late financier’s alleged crimes.
Attorney General Raul Torrez announced Thursday that his office would reopen the state’s criminal probe into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, located approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe. The decision comes after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related documents on January 30, revealing new details about three decades of alleged criminal activity in New Mexico.
The previous attorney general, Democrat Hector Balderas, had shuttered the state investigation in 2019 to prevent interference with ongoing federal cases. The renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s activities has created political challenges for President Donald Trump, a Republican.
“Revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination,” stated Lauren Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Justice.
This criminal investigation runs parallel to a separate legislative inquiry that began just two days earlier. New Mexico’s Democratic-controlled legislature established what lawmakers describe as the first thorough investigation into alleged crimes at the ranch, creating a committee to hear testimony at the statehouse.
Rodriguez explained that state prosecutors and special agents will request complete, unredacted access to the Justice Department’s Epstein case files and will coordinate with the legislative committee’s investigation.
The criminal probe will focus on “collection and preservation of any relevant evidence that remains available,” Rodriguez added.
Neither the U.S. Justice Department nor the FBI provided immediate responses to requests for comment.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York detention facility in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The Zorro Ranch property was purchased in 2023 by Texas businessman and politician Don Huffines from Epstein’s estate. A representative for Huffines confirmed that law enforcement has not yet contacted the current owners about accessing the property, but pledged “full and complete cooperation” if such requests are made.
Huffines announced on social media Monday his intention to convert the ranch into a Christian retreat center.
The New Mexico Department of Justice revealed Wednesday that investigators are examining a particularly disturbing claim from the newly released federal documents: allegations that Epstein directed the burial of two foreign girls’ bodies in hills surrounding the Zorro Ranch property.
