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ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – The New Mexico Department of Justice is taking another look at Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch, reopening a criminal investigation that was closed nearly seven years ago. State officials say the decision follows new revelations from previously sealed FBI records, which they believe warrant a deeper examination of what may have happened on the sprawling property south of Santa Fe.
The original investigation, closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, never resulted in charges. But the release of thousands of pages of federal documents has revived longstanding questions about the ranch and who may have been involved in alleged illegal activity there. According to the NMDOJ, special agents and prosecutors will now seek access to complete, unredacted federal case files as they begin their renewed review.
The investigation will unfold alongside the work of New Mexico’s newly established Epstein Truth Commission, a bipartisan panel of four state House members that held its first meeting this week. Lawmakers say they want to know whether the ranch played a role in facilitating sexual abuse or sex trafficking — and why Epstein was never required to register as a sex offender in New Mexico after his 2008 conviction in Florida. They’re also looking closely at whether gaps in oversight or potential corruption among public officials contributed to that failure.
The commission plans to collect testimony, review evidence, and identify any victims who may not have been contacted in earlier investigations. Members have said they intend to move quickly, with authority to subpoena records and witnesses as needed.
Epstein bought the nearly 8,000‑acre ranch in 1993 from former Gov. Bruce King, later building a mansion, private runway and multiple outbuildings. Even after his death in federal custody in 2019, the property remained central to questions about his activities in New Mexico. It was sold in 2023 by his estate, with proceeds going to creditors. The new owners — the family of Texas political figure Don Huffines — have renamed the property San Rafael Ranch and say they plan to use it as a Christian retreat.
For state investigators, though, the focus is on the past. Officials say the goal is simple: gather all available evidence, re‑interview witnesses if needed, and determine whether crimes occurred — and whether anyone should have acted sooner. As the truth commission and the NMDOJ begin their parallel work, both have signaled that this time, the investigation won’t end quietly.
