New Mexico reopens investigation linked to Epstein's former Zorro Ranch
#Epstein#Zorro Ranch#New Mexico#Investigation#Truth Commission#Sex Trafficking#FBI Files#Attorney General
📌 Key Takeaways
New Mexico's Attorney General Raúl Torrez reopened an investigation into Epstein's former Zorro Ranch
The investigation was initially closed in 2019 but is being reopened due to revelations in recently released Epstein files
State prosecutors are seeking access to complete, unredacted federal case files
New Mexico has established a bipartisan truth commission to investigate allegations at the ranch
📖 Full Retelling
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced Thursday, February 19, 2026, that his office has reopened an investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein's former Zorro Ranch, following the release of previously sealed FBI files by the U.S. Department of Justice. The state's initial case had been closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, but Torrez's office determined that 'revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.' The New Mexico Department of Justice stated that special agents and prosecutors will seek immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file and plan to collaborate with law enforcement partners and a new truth commission established by state lawmakers to investigate activities at the ranch. The department emphasized their commitment to 'follow the facts wherever they lead' and take appropriate investigative action, including preserving any available evidence. Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, never faced charges specifically in New Mexico, though state prosecutors had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch south of Santa Fe in 2019. The investigation comes amid disturbing allegations, including an unverified claim from a 2019 email in the Epstein files suggesting the bodies of two foreign girls were buried outside the property.
🏷️ Themes
Criminal Investigation, Government Accountability, Justice Reform
Rancho de San Rafael, formerly known as Zorro Ranch, is a large private property located near Stanley, New Mexico, United States, about 30 miles southeast of Santa Fe. It was owned by the financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from the early 1990s until his death in 2019, then by the estat...
The surname Epstein (also Eppstein or Epshtein) is one of the oldest Ashkenazi Jewish family names. It is probably derived from the German town of Eppstein, in Hesse; the place-name was probably derived from Gaulish apa 'water' (in the sense of a river) and German -stein 'stone' (in the sense of a h...
New Mexico is a landlocked state in the Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also borders the state of Texas to the east and southeast, Oklahoma to the northeas...
Commission tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing
A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state actors also), in the hope of resolving conflict left over ...
U.S. New Mexico reopens investigation into allegations at Epstein's former Zorro Ranch February 19, 2026 / 6:28 PM EST / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google New Mexico's attorney general has reopened an investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein s former Zorro Ranch. Attorney General Raúl Torrez's office made the announcement Thursday, saying the decision was made after reviewing information in the so-called Epstein files recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Although New Mexico's initial case was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, state prosecutors say now that "revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination." The New Mexico Department of Justice said special agents and prosecutors at the agency will be seeking immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file and intend to work with other law enforcement partners as well as a new truth commission established by state lawmakers to look into activities at the ranch. "As with any potential criminal matter, we will follow the facts wherever they lead, carefully evaluate jurisdictional considerations, and take appropriate investigative action, including the collection and preservation of any relevant evidence that remains available," the New Mexico Department of Justice said in a statement. While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico , state prosecutors confirmed in 2019 that they had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch south of Santa Fe. They never elaborated on how many accusers were interviewed or what they say took place at the ranch . The New Mexico Department of Justice did not immediately respond to emailed questions about why state prosecutors were requested to close the investigation in 2019 or whether there were specific allegations detailed within the recent filings that were released that prompted reopening the investigation. Reuters news agency reported that New Mexico's D...
