Newly released documents have provided fresh insights into Jeffrey Epstein's sprawling Zorro ranch in New Mexico, a nearly 10,000-acre property where he allegedly abused teenage girls and young women for years. The ranch, located outside Santa Fe, included a 26,700 sq ft mansion, a private runway, and a hangar.
Despite extensive searches of Epstein's other properties, including his New York townhouse and Caribbean island, authorities have not conducted a federal search of the New Mexico ranch. Hector Balderas, New Mexico's attorney general at the time of Epstein's 2019 arrest, said his office investigated but was asked by federal prosecutors to hold off on any state action.
Emails released by the Justice Department show that in September 2019, Manhattan federal prosecutors confirmed they had asked New Mexico to cease its investigation and share any gathered evidence. A December 2019 email from a prosecutor stated that the New Mexico property had not been searched.
Multiple women have testified about abuse at the ranch. One accuser, identified as Jane, said she was sexually abused by Epstein starting at age 14 and was taken to the ranch when she was 15 or 16. Another woman, Annie Farmer, testified that Ghislaine Maxwell gave her a nude massage at the ranch when she was 16, and Epstein later climbed into bed with her.
The Guardian's review of the documents also revealed never-before-seen photos of the ranch and details about past law enforcement inquiries. The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment on whether the property was ever searched.
