New Mexico Investigators Search Epstein's Zorro Ranch in Reopened Criminal Probe

Investigators descended on Jeffrey Epstein's sprawling former Zorro Ranch near Stanley on Monday, executing a search of the secluded property as part of a criminal probe that New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez reopened just three weeks earlier.

The New Mexico Department of Justice led the search with assistance from New Mexico State Police and the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office. The current owners, the family of Texas real estate developer and former legislator Don Huffines, granted access to the property, which sits just off a rural state highway roughly 30 miles south of Santa Fe. The department's statement noted it "extends its thanks to the ranch staff for their professionalism."

"At the direction of Attorney General Torrez, the New Mexico Department of Justice initiated a search this morning of the Zorro Ranch property previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein, with the New Mexico State Police and Sandoval County Sheriff's Office providing assistance," a department spokesperson said Monday. "This search is part of the criminal investigation announced by the New Mexico Department of Justice on February 19th into allegations of illegal activity at Epstein's ranch prior to Epstein's 2019 death."

Spokeswoman Lauren Rodriguez confirmed the search but did not immediately provide details on findings. "The New Mexico Department of Justice will continue to keep the public appropriately informed, support the survivors and follow the facts wherever they lead," Rodriguez said.

Torrez announced the reopening of the investigation on February 19 after newly released federal files prompted fresh scrutiny. The department's February statement cited "revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files" as warranting further examination, noting that New Mexico's prior investigation had been closed in 2019 at the request of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has said federal prosecutors at the time promised to share evidence with state investigators that was ultimately never provided.

Investigators sought potential evidence and attempted to corroborate testimony from alleged victims connected to the ranch, according to reporting on the search's purpose. Epstein was never charged with crimes related to the New Mexico property during his lifetime, though he faced federal sex-trafficking charges before his death in 2019.

Epstein purchased the ranch in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and constructed a hilltop mansion with a private runway and guesthouses on the property. The estate spans somewhere between 7,500 and nearly 10,000 acres, with sources differing on the precise figure. Epstein's estate sold the ranch in 2023, with proceeds going toward creditors, and the Huffines family became the current owners.

The search came one day after hundreds gathered outside the ranch on International Women's Day to show support for victims and survivors, following an earlier protest and memorial installation at the site on February 28. Public pressure has mounted alongside ongoing calls to release thousands of additional federal files related to Epstein.

The legislative response in Santa Fe has moved in parallel. The New Mexico House approved creation of a four-member truth-finding commission during this year's 30-day legislative session; that commission has already held one meeting and could begin issuing subpoenas to persons of interest within weeks. Torrez said when announcing the reopening that he planned to collaborate with the commission and other law enforcement agencies as the investigation proceeds.