Authorities descended this week on a sprawling New Mexico property once owned by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, reopening a chapter in one of the most controversial criminal scandals in modern American history. The renewed search of the estate—long known as Zorro Ranch—has triggered fresh scrutiny of how federal investigators handled Epstein’s network before his death in 2019.
For years, critics have asked a simple question: why was the ranch never searched when Epstein’s empire was under investigation?
When Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, investigators rapidly moved across his luxury properties, including homes in New York, Florida, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Yet according to emails released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Justice, authorities apparently never executed a search at the New Mexico ranch.
Just weeks later, Epstein was found dead in a Manhattan jail cell, officially ruled a suicide. As the investigation expanded in the aftermath, the property still remained untouched by federal search teams.
Now, nearly a decade later, New Mexico authorities have stepped in.
The New Mexico Department of Justice confirmed that a criminal investigation was reopened in February following what officials described as “revelations” contained in previously sealed FBI files. While details remain scarce, the disclosure has been enough to prompt investigators to revisit the remote ranch property.
One disturbing allegation appears to be at the center of the renewed scrutiny.
According to documents released by the DOJ, a local radio host received an email in November 2019 from an anonymous person claiming to have worked at the ranch. The sender alleged that two “foreign girls” had been strangled and buried somewhere in the hills surrounding the estate.
NEW: Investigators are now searching Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch for the bodies of two girls who were allegedly strangled to death, according to the Daily Mail.
The search comes after an email claimed that a former staffer had information that two girls were buried outside the… pic.twitter.com/Db6HjwNgaS
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 10, 2026
The message included a shocking demand: one bitcoin in exchange for the alleged burial locations and several videos purportedly showing sexual abuse.
The radio host quickly alerted the FBI and provided investigators with the information. An FBI report confirms agents were notified and interviewed the host. But the tip appears to have stalled almost immediately. The email account used to send the message was later deactivated, and there was no confirmed evidence backing up the claim.
Still, the allegation recently resurfaced after the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands formally requested both federal and state authorities to investigate the matter. The letter called the claim “disturbing” and urged a thorough probe.
The renewed attention has now brought investigators directly onto the property.
The ranch itself no longer belongs to Epstein’s estate. In 2023 it was purchased by Texas businessman and Republican politician Don Huffines, who is currently the GOP nominee for Texas state comptroller. Huffines has publicly acknowledged the property’s dark history and says he plans to transform it into a Christian retreat renamed “San Rafael,” stating his goal is to reclaim the land “for Jesus.”
State officials say the current owners have cooperated with the search.
Meanwhile, the investigation comes amid growing political pressure in New Mexico to finally uncover the full scope of Epstein’s activities in the state. Lawmakers recently voted unanimously to establish an Epstein Truth Commission with subpoena power and a $2 million budget to dig deeper into what happened.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has warned that the investigation faces serious obstacles. Epstein has been dead for years, the property has changed hands, and potential evidence may have disappeared. In many cases, the statute of limitations may also prevent criminal charges.
Even so, Torrez says the effort will move forward.
Authorities, he said, will follow the evidence wherever it leads and leave no credible question unanswered. For a case that has generated years of suspicion, unanswered questions, and public outrage, the sudden search of Epstein’s remote ranch is once again pushing the scandal back into the national spotlight.
