New Mexico Investigators Search Epstein's Former Zorro Ranch Amid Renewed Sex Trafficking Probe

State investigators launched a formal search of Jeffrey Epstein's former New Mexico property on Monday, marking a significant escalation in the renewed investigation into alleged sexual abuse and sex trafficking that may have occurred at the sprawling ranch. The search, conducted with the cooperation of the current property owners, was carried out jointly by the New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico State Police, and the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office. The Zorro Ranch, a vast estate located near Stanley, approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe, was purchased by Epstein in 1993 from former Democratic Governor Bruce King. Epstein developed the property into a hilltop mansion complete with a private runway before his death in a Manhattan detention facility in 2019, where he was awaiting trial on federal charges of sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of underage girls. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez reopened the investigation in February, citing revelations contained in previously sealed FBI documents released earlier this year. The original state inquiry had been closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, despite the attorney general's office having interviewed potential victims who alleged abuse at the ranch. Authorities now assert that the newly disclosed federal records warrant a deeper examination of activities that allegedly took place on the property. The ranch was sold in 2023 through Epstein's estate to the family of Don Huffines, a Texas Republican who recently won his party's primary for state comptroller. The current owners have reportedly cooperated fully with investigators. In a parallel development, New Mexico state legislators have established a dedicated commission to examine historical activities at the ranch, signaling sustained institutional commitment to pursuing accountability in the case. Epstein was never formally charged in connection with activities in New Mexico.