New Mexico Reopens Epstein Zorro Ranch Probe and Launches Legislative Truth Commission
New Mexico has relaunched a criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged abuse of girls and women at his 10,000‑acre Zorro Ranch and, in a rare step, created a bipartisan legislative Truth Commission to examine potential crimes and public corruption tied to the property. Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office resumed its probe after newly released U.S. Justice Department files, ending a 2019 pause requested by federal prosecutors, and recently led a coordinated search of the ranch with state police and K‑9 units. Separately, the state legislature voted unanimously on Feb. 16 to establish a truth commission, chaired by Democratic Rep. Andrea Romero, with a mandate to determine what happened at the ranch over 26 years and to issue an initial report by July 31 and a final report by year’s end. The work is being funded from a $15 million settlement New Mexico reached in 2022 with Epstein’s banks, with $2 million earmarked for the investigations, and current owner Don Huffines — a former Texas state senator and now the GOP nominee for Texas comptroller — has agreed to cooperate. The dual inquiries reflect mounting public pressure, amplified online by survivors’ advocates and skeptics of prior official inaction, to expose not just Epstein’s alleged crimes in New Mexico but also who in law enforcement and politics knew what, when, and why nothing was done for decades.
📌 Key Facts
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has formally restarted a criminal investigation into alleged Epstein crimes at Zorro Ranch that was halted in 2019 at federal authorities’ request.
- The New Mexico legislature unanimously approved a bipartisan Truth Commission on Feb. 16, 2026, to investigate alleged criminal activity and public corruption linked to Epstein in the state, focused on Zorro Ranch.
- The commission is funded from a $15 million 2022 settlement with Epstein’s banks, with $2 million allocated to the inquiry, and must release an initial report by July 31, 2026, and a final report by year’s end.
- Investigators from NMDOJ, New Mexico State Police and Sandoval County Fire and Rescue K‑9 units conducted a recent search of the ranch, now owned by Republican Texas comptroller nominee Don Huffines, who has cooperated.
📊 Relevant Data
Native Americans comprise nearly 25% of sex trafficking victims in New Mexico, despite making up only 11% of the state's population.
Sexual Violence Among Native Women & Girls — Rights4Girls
In 2022, 85% of sex trafficking victims in New Mexico were female, with 45% of female victims aged 12 to 17 and 5.3% under age 11.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHANGES — New Mexico Legislature
Between 2019 and 2023, New Mexico had 4.78 human trafficking victims per 100,000 people, ranking it among states with higher per capita rates.
Mapped: U.S. States With the Most Human Trafficking Victims — Visual Capitalist
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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