Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch becomes investigation focus
Thirty miles south of Santa Fe, isolated in the New Mexico desert, lies Zorro Ranch, where disgraced financier and convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein is accused of abusing girls and women.
Mr. Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James in the Caribbean, and his seven-story mansion in New York have received the most attention related to his crimes. But now the focus has shifted to this lesser-known 10,000-acre property in New Mexico.
Recently released records from the U.S. Department of Justice have led to the state of New Mexico relaunching an investigation and the legislature’s creation of a truth commission that will conduct a separate investigation.
Why we wrote this
Two new efforts are underway to examine Jeffrey Epstein’s past: One aims to determine whether crimes took place at Zorro Ranch. Another is a bipartisan truth commission, formed by the New Mexico state legislature, that seeks to tell the story of what exactly happened there.
Mr. Epstein bought the ranch in 1993 from Bruce King, a three-time former New Mexico governor. Mr. Epstein owned it for 26 years and allegations that he harmed minors there date back to 1996.
After Mr. Epstein’s death in 2019, the ranch was put up for sale, with proceeds going to Mr. Epstein’s victims. Don Huffines, a former Texas state senator and current Republican candidate for comptroller, purchased the ranch. He renamed it Rancho de San Rafael and made it a Christian retreat.
Mr. Huffines cooperated with the New Mexico Department of Justice’s investigation.
What is the New Mexico Truth Commission and what is its purpose?
The Truth Commission is a bipartisan committee of the state legislature, created to investigate alleged criminal activity and public corruption linked to Mr. Epstein in New Mexico — and is focused primarily on Zorro Ranch. A resolution to form the committee was passed unanimously on February 16.
The commission will attempt to confirm whether any crimes occurred at the ranch. He is expected to work until the end of the year and submit a final report on his findings. A first report will be published no later than July 31. The investigation is being funded by a $15 million settlement in 2022 between the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) and Mr. Epstein’s banks. Of that money, $2 million was allocated to the investigation.
Also in February, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez restarted a criminal investigation into the allegations against Mr. Epstein. The NMDOJ’s first investigation concluded in 2019 at the request of federal authorities, who said the state’s investigation could overlap with federal prosecutions and testimony. But a federal judge, at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, dismissed criminal charges against Mr. Epstein on August 29, 2019, about three weeks after the financier died while in prison.
Earlier this month, NMDOJ said it conducted a search of the ranch alongside New Mexico State Police and Sandoval County Fire and Rescue K-9 units.
Democratic state Rep. Andrea Romero, chair of the truth commission, said that although the two investigations are separate, her panel and the NMDOJ are “working together.”
The difference, Ms. Romero said, is that the NMDOJ investigation focuses on possible criminal charges, while the truth commission’s ultimate goal is to be “able to tell the public what happened.” [for] 26 years old. »
The main functions of the commission are to provide “a survivor-centered account of what happened”; analyze state policies, laws, and practices that enabled Mr. Epstein and his network to allegedly conduct criminal activities in New Mexico; and formulate recommendations and proposals for legislative reforms.
How will the commission handle the Zorro Ranch conspiracy theories?
The Epstein files attracted public attention, sparking numerous conspiracy theories related to Mr. Epstein’s death, which was ruled a suicide; its powerful and ultra-rich network; and events occurring in its various properties.
Theories surrounding the ranch include the claim that Mr. Epstein conducted experiments related to eugenics. The New York Times reported in 2019 that Mr. Epstein had become interested in the idea of impregnating women with the overall goal of transhumanism, a movement that advocates combining different forms of technology, including AI and genetic engineering, to enhance and modify human beings.
Another conspiracy theory has arisen from the recent release of documents linked to Mr. Epstein. One email, sent anonymously in 2019, claimed that two young “foreign” girls had been killed during sexual activity and buried on the ranch. The email was sent to Eddy Aragon, a radio host, by someone claiming to be a former ranch staff member. Mr. Aragon told the Santa Fe New Mexican that he sent the email to the FBI in 2019.
“Although we’ve had so many different conspiracy theories about this, we want concrete information about what was alleged at a time when law enforcement was already involved and engaged,” says Ms. Romero. “So we have our work cut out for us. »
She said the committee wants to hear from people willing to tell their stories about what they experienced at the ranch.
Could the New Mexico investigation result in accountability?
“The commission isn’t just telling a story. It’s also saying: What can we do as a legislature to produce results and have policy in place to make these changes?” said Mrs. Romero.
The study also seeks to understand why the state investigation conducted in 2019 ended before it was completed, and why it remained inactive until this year.
“If it is not a failure, if it is [not] a cover-up, if it is [not a] a systemic failure, what is it? said Mrs. Romero. “With as many victims as we know of who have sought justice or who have provided testimony, filed depositions, who have settled Epstein’s estate or others. …Why don’t we know at this point?
The truth commission cannot initiate criminal proceedings. However, the state legislature gave him the power to subpoena people of interest to testify. And it can refer evidence to the NMDOJ investigation to facilitate possible prosecution.
Ms Romero says the commission hopes those with information will come forward or submit information. It’s also about meeting survivors.
“I hope that if there is a way to get justice in New Mexico, we are prepared to take responsibility for and address any inaction that has occurred,” Ms. Romero said. “Our overall goal is to prevent these things from happening.” »
