New Mexico Reopens Investigation into Epstein Ranch
The state of New Mexico has reopened its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s former “Zorro Ranch.” The decision follows the release of new federal documents that raised fresh questions, including an unverified 2019 allegation that two foreign girls were buried on the property.
- A bipartisan "truth committee" of four New Mexico state lawmakers is spearheading the new $2.5 million investigation. This committee has the authority to issue subpoenas and will seek testimony from survivors of the alleged abuse. - Despite numerous allegations and investigations into Epstein's other properties, federal authorities reportedly never conducted a full search of the nearly 10,000-acre Zorro Ranch. A 2019 state-level investigation was halted at the request of federal prosecutors in New York to avoid a "parallel investigation." - The unverified 2019 allegation that sparked the reinvestigation came from an anonymous email sent to a local radio host. The sender, claiming to be a former employee, alleged that two "foreign girls" were buried in the hills near the ranch after being strangled during "rough, fetish sex" on the orders of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. - The Zorro Ranch, which Epstein purchased in 1993 from former New Mexico Governor Bruce King, was sold by his estate in 2023. The new owner, the family of Texas businessman Don Huffines, has renamed it San Rafael Ranch and plans to operate it as a Christian retreat. - The recently released federal documents contain thousands of references to the Zorro Ranch. These files have shed new light on the property and revealed ties between Epstein, a former New Mexico attorney general, and two former Democratic governors. - In 2019, New Mexico's land commissioner canceled grazing leases held by the ranch on nearly 2 square miles of state land after officials were denied access for an inspection. - Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser, alleged she was trafficked to the ranch to have sex with powerful men, including former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who denied the claims before his death in 2023. - The new state investigation will also examine why Jeffrey Epstein was not required to register as a sex offender in New Mexico after his 2008 Florida conviction for soliciting a minor.
