New Mexico authorities began searching Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe on March 9, 2026, following allegations from recently released Epstein files about buried bodies. The probe stems from a reopened investigation into potential crimes at the property, prompted by a 2019 anonymous email claiming two foreign girls were strangled and buried in nearby hills on Epstein’s orders.
Search Details
The New Mexico Department of Justice, with New Mexico State Police and Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, is conducting the ground search at the 8,000-acre ranch south of Santa Fe. Attorney General Raul Torrez emphasized following facts, supporting survivors, and public updates while requesting non-interference. This marks the first thorough probe of the ranch, unlike Epstein’s other properties (Manhattan townhouse, Palm Beach estate, Little St. James island).
Property and Investigation History
Epstein owned Zorro Ranch until his 2019 suicide in jail while awaiting sex trafficking trial; it sold at auction in 2023 to San Rafael Ranch LLC, linked to Texas businessman Don Huffines’ family, who renamed it and pledged cooperation. A prior 2019 state probe closed at federal request; Torrez reopened it in February 2026 after Epstein file releases, alongside a state “truth commission” with subpoena power. No verified findings from the ongoing search as of March 13.
