Zorro Ranch: New Mexico approves full investigation into former Epstein property – National
The legislation was unanimously approved on Monday and creates a special committee of state representatives, including four representatives from both major parties, who are tasked with investigating what happened at the ranch.
A bipartisan committee will seek testimony from survivors of alleged sexual abuse at the ranch, which was purchased by Epstein in 1993. He owned the property until his death in 2019, and his estate put it up for sale in 2021.
Legislators are also urging area residents to testify and are seeking to identify any ranch guests and state officials who may have known what was going on at Epstein’s property or taken part in alleged sexual abuse in the mansion or guest houses.
The investigation comes weeks after the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related files that shed new light on the ranch, revealing ties between Epstein and a former attorney general of New Mexico and two former Democratic governors.
The investigation aims to close gaps in a New Mexico law that may have allowed Epstein to operate in the state and will cost US$2.5 million, according to Reuters.
The entrance of the San Rafael Ranch, which was previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein and called the Zorro Ranch, is seen, Jan. 31, 2026, near Stanley, N.M.
AP Photo/Savannah Peters
Bill sponsor state Rep. Andrea Romero said the subcommittee will use subpoena powers, public records and testimony to “put the whole story together,” Source New Mexico reports.
In a statement following the unanimous vote, Romero said the people of New Mexico “deserve to know the truth about what went on at the Zorro Ranch and who knew about it.”
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“We have heard years of allegations and rumours about Epstein’s activities in New Mexico, but unfortunately, federal investigations have failed to put together an official record,” Romero continued. “With this Truth Commission, we can finally fill in the gaps by investigating the failures that led to the horrific allegations of abuse and crime at Zorro Ranch, so we can learn from them and prevent such atrocities from taking place in our state going forward.”
The committee will begin its investigation on Tuesday and plans to deliver interim findings by July 31, with a final report expected by the end of the year.
This comes after allegations that two girls were buried near the ranch. The New Mexico Department of Justice wrote a letter to federal officials on Feb. 13 asking for unredacted copies of an anonymous 2019 email to a local radio host alleging that “foreign girls” died at the Zorro Ranch.
New Mexico Department of Justice Chief of Staff Lauren Rodriguez told Source NM they have not received a response to the letter and “are reviewing all appropriate avenues to investigate the allegations raised, as well as any additional ones that may emerge.”
Victim advocates applauded the move, saying Zorro Ranch, which is mentioned in the Epstein files more than 4,000 times, had been overlooked by federal investigations that focused on Epstein’s Caribbean island and New York townhouse.
“Many of the survivors had experiences in New Mexico, and as we’ve learned, you know, there were local politicians and other people that were aware of what was happening in New Mexico,” lawyer Sigrid McCawley, whose law firm has represented hundreds of Epstein survivors, told Reuters.
In the documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, former Santa Fe massage therapist Rachel Benavidez accused Epstein of sexual abuse when she was hired to work at the ranch.
While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed it was investigating and had interviewed possible victims who visited the property.
In 2023, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez ordered an investigation into financial businesses utilized by Epstein and their legal obligations, said agency spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez. That resulted in agreements with two banks that dedicate $17 million to the prevention of human trafficking, she said.
The ranch is currently owned by Texas businessman and politician Don Huffines, who said he bought and renamed the property Rancho de San Rafael in 2023 and plans to turn it into a Christian retreat.
“In 2023, four years after Epstein’s death, San Rafael Ranch had been listed on the open market for years and was scheduled for public auction,” he wrote Monday in a post on X. “At the time of the sale, it was marketed that the proceeds would go to the victims. It has since been confirmed by the estate’s attorneys that proceeds from the sale benefited the victims.”
Huffines, who is currently running for office in Texas, said he has cooperated with authorities.
“By 2024, my family’s ownership was public and had been posted on social media. We have always maintained an open line of communication with local authorities,” he wrote.
“No law enforcement agency has ever approached me to request access, and I have always said unequivocally that any such request would be met with immediate access and full cooperation. This is what desperate political opponents do: last-minute lies and dirty tricks,” Huffines’ post concluded.
— With files from Reuters and The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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