New Mexico Reopens Epstein Ranch Probe And Launches Truth Commission
In February 2026 New Mexico's attorney general reopened a probe into possible crimes at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch and the state Legislature created a bipartisan Truth Commission to examine the ranch and official responses.[1]
Investigators searched the ranch property outside Santa Fe using search-and-rescue dogs as part of the renewed probe.[1] The House unanimously created the bipartisan Truth Commission, which is chaired by Rep. Andrea Romero, funded with $2 million from settlements with a bank that did business with Epstein, and authorized to subpoena witnesses and compel testimony.[1]
Federal prosecutors in New York had asked that a 2019 state investigation into the ranch be closed, and New Mexico's probe was shut down then.[1] The Truth Commission is charged with examining why survivor reports did not lead to prosecutions and with probing potential systemic failures by officials.[1]
Commission leaders say they have received a large volume of public tips as they begin their work, signaling intense public interest and potential new lines of inquiry.[1] The combined criminal review and public fact-finding effort could lead to further legal actions or policy changes depending on what investigators and commissioners uncover.
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📌 Key Facts
- In February 2026, New Mexico's attorney general reopened a previously closed investigation into possible crimes at Jeffrey Epstein's former Zorro Ranch, which had been shut down in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York.
- Investigators have conducted a search of the ranch property outside Santa Fe using search-and-rescue dogs as part of the renewed probe.
- Also in February 2026, the New Mexico House unanimously created a bipartisan Truth Commission, chaired by Rep. Andrea Romero, to examine systemic issues around the ranch and why survivor reports did not lead to prosecutions.
- The Truth Commission is funded with $2 million from settlements New Mexico obtained from a bank that did business with Epstein and is authorized to subpoena witnesses and compel testimony.
- Commission leaders report receiving a large volume of public tips as they begin their work on events at the ranch and potential official inaction.
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