New Mexico Launches Renewed Probe into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch Amid Questions Over Past Handling
SANTA FE, N.M. — A bipartisan legislative commission and state law enforcement officials have launched the most comprehensive investigation to date into Jeffrey Epstein’s sprawling Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, seeking to determine whether critical evidence was overlooked following the financier’s 2019 death.
The 7,600-acre property south of Santa Fe, which Epstein owned for nearly three decades, is now the focus of both a criminal probe by the New Mexico Department of Justice and a separate civil inquiry by the newly formed “Truth Commission.” State authorities conducted the first full-scale search of the ranch in March 2026, with the cooperation of current owner Don Huffines.
The renewed effort follows long-standing criticism that earlier state investigations were sidelined at the request of federal authorities after Epstein’s arrest. A 2019 tip forwarded to the FBI alleged that the bodies of two young women may have been buried on or near the property, but no major excavation was conducted at the time.
The four-member Truth Commission, established unanimously by the state House in February, held its first public meeting Monday. It aims to examine allegations of sexual abuse at the ranch, potential involvement by state officials, and why prior inquiries were constrained.
Separately, the U.S. House Oversight Committee continues to scrutinize Epstein’s financial network. In March, longtime Epstein accountant Richard Kahn testified in a closed-door deposition, facing questions about settlements paid by the estate, including one involving a woman who accused both Epstein and former President Donald Trump — an allegation Trump has denied.
Victims’ advocates say the dual investigations represent a long-overdue effort to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s operations in New Mexico and address potential institutional failures. Officials have called for additional survivors to come forward as the search for answers continues.
