New Mexico Blasts Trump’s DOJ for Stonewalling Epstein Investigation

New Mexico officials are furious, claiming Donald Trump’s Department of Justice is obstructing their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein by withholding critical documents related to his crimes at Zorro Ranch.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez demands immediate access to files his office requested over 130 days ago, asserting that the Justice Department is ignoring “verbal assurances” and failing to provide any substantive response.

The state’s Department of Justice is probing Epstein’s alleged activities at the Santa Fe County property he once owned, where numerous survivors have reported abuse.

In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Torrez expressed frustration over the unreasonable delay in accessing records that include “the names of survivors, witnesses, co-conspirators and other individuals whose identities are essential” to the investigation.

State investigators reignited their inquiry into the sprawling 26,700 square foot mansion after the Justice Department began releasing millions of documents from its own Epstein investigations.

Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim who died by suicide in 2025, was photographed at Zorro Ranch. Other survivors, like Annie Farmer, have recounted their harrowing experiences of abuse at the hands of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on the property.

“Heavily redacted open-source records already establish that multiple survivors were brought to Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, on numerous occasions, where they were subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation,” Torrez stated in his correspondence.

“Survivors of serious criminal conduct at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch in New Mexico are being denied justice,” he continued. “That harm is a direct consequence of the [Justice Department’s continued failure to comply with [New Mexico's] outstanding records request.”

Torrez emphasized that these records are vital for substantiating survivor testimony and building a solid evidentiary foundation for any potential prosecution. The ongoing withholding of documents is inflicting “real and escalating harm” on the state’s investigation.

Efforts to block the release of unredacted documents not only undermine the state’s investigation but also threaten the possibility of prosecutions due to potential “legal hurdles” related to statutes of limitations and due process, according to Torrez.

The state’s previous criminal investigation into Epstein’s activities in New Mexico wrapped up within a year without filing any charges. Epstein died in jail that summer while awaiting trial on federal trafficking charges in New York, with his death ruled a suicide.

This year, state lawmakers established an investigatory subcommittee with subpoena power to gather testimony, records, and other evidence. Democratic state Rep. Andrea Romero stated that New Mexico residents “deserve to know the truth about what went on at the Zorro Ranch and who knew about it.”

“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,” she added.

The committee is set to operate through 2026 with a budget of $2 million, funded by a 2023 settlement between Torrez’s office and several financial services companies over failures to identify abuses at the property.

Epstein purchased the ranch from former New Mexico Governor Bruce King. The property features an airstrip, helipad, and a hilltop mansion where he allegedly abused women and girls over a span of 26 years. It was listed for sale in July 2021, two years after Epstein's death, with a valuation of $27.5 million at that time.

In 2023, businessman Don Huffines, a self-proclaimed “MAGA Trump Republican,” acquired the property after winning the Republican nomination for Texas comptroller. His entity, San Rafael Ranch LLC, was traced back to him through public records requests.

The property was valued for tax purposes at $21.1 million for the 2023 fiscal year. The LLC argued that Epstein’s “notoriety” and its higher sales price justified a lower valuation.

The Justice Department has been approached for comment.