New Mexico revives Epstein criminal investigation 

A review of a new tranche of documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has prompted Attorney General Raúl Torrez to revive a criminal investigation into activities at his former ranch in New Mexico, the agency said Thursday.

The New Mexico Department of Justice also plans to work with a legislative truth-finding commission formed this week by state lawmakers, Lauren Rodriguez, the agency's chief of staff, said in a statement.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday she welcomed the reopening of the investigation, while also lauding the creation of the truth-finding commission.

House members this week formed a four-member subcommittee, called a truth-finding commission, to investigate Epstein's past connections to New Mexico and activities at the 7,500-acre Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County, near Stanley. The committee held its first meeting on Tuesday and announced plans to subpoena witnesses and set up a phone line to receive tips.

"We don't care who you are, if you did something related to this Epstein case ... we will find you," Lujan Grisham said.

She also said it bodes well for investigators that the new owner of Zorro Ranch, Texas real estate mogul Don Huffines, has pledged to cooperate.

Epstein purchased Zorro Ranch from the family of former Gov. Bruce King in 1993. The property features a 33,339-square-foot mansion, pool, hot tub and other structures. It was sold to the Huffines family in 2023 for an undisclosed price.

Epstein served 13 months in custody after he pleaded guilty in a Florida court in 2008 to procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and died in his jail cell that year.

Agents and prosecutors at the New Mexico Department of Justice plan to seek access to unredacted federal records, Rodriguez said.

"Although the State of New Mexico’s prior investigation was closed in 2019 at the request of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination," the statement said.

The U.S. Department of Justice last month released some 3 million pages of email chains, text messages, videos, photos and other materials tied to Epstein, some of which are heavily redacted. The records also contain uncorroborated tips made to law enforcement.

Calls for a renewed investigation in New Mexico have gained momentum amid allegations of sexual abuse of underage girls at Zorro Ranch.

The New Mexico Department of Justice will "provide updates as appropriate," the statement said.

"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 statement said.

The four House members appointed to the truth-finding commission are Reps. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, Marianna Anaya, D-Albuquerque, Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, and Bill Hall, R-Aztec. Reeb is a former prosecutor and Hall is a retired FBI agent.

The commission will not have the ability to directly launch criminal investigations, but will be able to subpoena witnesses, hear testimony and coordinate with law enforcement agencies.

Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd contributed to this report.

Olivier Uyttebrouck covers the court system. You can reach him at olivier@abqjournal.com.