WASHINGTON — Authorities in New Mexico have begun searching the former ranch of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of abuse involving women and girls at the property.
The probe follows the release in January by the U.S. Justice Department of millions of documents referencing Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, which have renewed scrutiny of his activities prior to his death in 2019.
“This search is part of the criminal investigation announced by the New Mexico Department of Justice on February 19 into allegations of illegal activity at Epstein’s ranch prior to Epstein’s 2019 death,” the department said in a statement.
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury praised the investigation, saying the state’s justice department is leaving “no stone unturned.” She added on X that “Epstein survivors have waited for far too long for justice and New Mexico is leading the way in the pursuit of truth and accountability.”
Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019, had been convicted in 2008 of soliciting sex from girls as young as 14. He faced additional sex trafficking charges at the time of his death.
Since his death, several women have come forward with allegations tied to the ranch. An unidentified woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe 15 said she was raped by Epstein there at age 15. Meanwhile, Annie Farmer has accused Epstein’s jailed accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell of fondling her at the property while she was a teenager.
The New Mexico search signals a renewed effort to pursue accountability for crimes committed at Epstein’s ranch prior to his death.
