Years after an initial investigation into his sprawling New Mexico property was abruptly halted, state authorities have returned to Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch to conduct a new search following the emergence of a recently unsealed tip — one alleging that two foreign girls may have been killed and buried on the property, reopening one of the most disturbing threads tied to the late financier’s trafficking network.
Investigators began searching the ranch this week after New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez reopened the criminal investigation in February, citing newly unsealed federal documents that contained the allegation dating back to 2019.
The tip claimed that two girls were strangled during violent sexual encounters at the ranch and later buried somewhere on the remote property, according to reports.
State authorities reopen long-dormant probe
The renewed search marks the first major investigative effort at the property in years.
Torrez reopened the case after millions of federal records related to Epstein were unsealed, providing new details about Epstein’s activities in New Mexico over three decades.
A newly released 2019 email referenced claims that two foreign girls were buried in hills near the ranch.
The New Mexico attorney general’s office later decided to reopen the investigation after a Guardian report highlighted that federal agents did not appear to have searched Zorro Ranch, increasing pressure for a more thorough inquiry.
On Monday, state investigators, police, and the local sheriff’s office began searching portions of the property with the cooperation of the current owners to determine whether evidence tied to the allegation exists on the land.
The Daily Mail continues:
The investigation is running in parallel to a truth commission that was unanimously set up by local lawmakers last month to try to find out exactly what went on at Zorro.
‘We have heard years of allegations and rumors about Epstein’s activities in New Mexico, but unfortunately, federal investigations have failed to put together an official record,’ said State Representative Andrea Romero, who led the fight to establish the commission, and is one of its four members.
‘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 operation began just the day after hundreds of protesters gathered at the ranch, now renamed Rancho de San Rafael by its new owner.
Zorro Ranch is a nearly 10,000-acre compound about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, near the town of Stanley, featuring multiple residences, guest buildings, and large stretches of undeveloped land.
Earlier investigation halted in 2019
The new search also shines renewed light on a controversial decision made during the original investigation into Epstein.
In 2019, as New Mexico officials began probing allegations connected to the ranch, the U.S. Department of Justice under the first Trump administration asked state investigators to halt their probe.
Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) requested that New Mexico authorities stand down so the federal sex trafficking case against Epstein could proceed without interference.
State investigators complied and turned over the information they had gathered to federal authorities.
However, former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas later said the cooperation ultimately proved one-sided, explaining that federal officials did not share additional information with the state and never conducted a full search of the ranch themselves.
No charges related to the property were filed at that time.
Congressional scrutiny over halted probe
The earlier decision to pause the investigation has drawn criticism from lawmakers reviewing the Epstein case.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has publicly criticized the move, saying federal officials asked New Mexico authorities to “stand down” during the 2019 investigation.
Comer and other lawmakers have argued that the ranch may hold evidence related to Epstein’s broader trafficking operation that was never fully examined. (RELATED: Epstein Maintained Multiple Storage Units That Authorities Reportedly Never Searched)
Ranch long linked to abuse allegations
Zorro Ranch has been repeatedly cited in allegations involving Epstein’s trafficking network.
Multiple accusers have said they were flown to the property as teenagers, where Epstein allegedly hosted guests and carried out sexual abuse sessions involving underage girls.
The ranch was one of several properties connected to Epstein, including homes in Palm Beach, Manhattan, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that authorities believe were used as part of his trafficking operation.
Some reports have also linked the property to Epstein’s controversial interest in genetics and human reproduction, which critics described as disturbing “experiments.”
Investigators have not confirmed whether the current search is tied to those claims.
Investigation years after Epstein’s death
Epstein died in August 2019 in a federal jail in Manhattan while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors.
His death was ruled a suicide, but the case has continued to generate scrutiny over the scope of his activities and whether all potential crimes connected to his network were fully investigated. (RELATED: New Epstein Files Raise Questions About Prison Guard’s Finances, Final Hours Before Death)
The newly reopened probe in New Mexico suggests authorities believe there may still be unexplored leads tied to the ranch property.
What investigators are looking for
Authorities have not disclosed exactly where investigators are searching on the ranch or how long the operation will continue.
Officials say the effort is focused on following up on information contained in the newly unsealed documents, including the allegation that victims may have been buried on the land.
For now, investigators say the search remains active and that no conclusions have been reached.
If evidence is discovered, it could potentially reopen broader questions about whether additional crimes occurred at one of Epstein’s most remote and least examined properties.
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