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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Lawmakers in the US state of New Mexico have launched a new investigation into allegations of trafficking and sexual abuse at Zorro Ranch, a 7,600-acre estate near Santa Fe that belonged to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein bought the property in 1993 and owned it until his death in 2019, when he was found dead in a New York jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The property was mentioned several times in documents recently released by the US Department of Justice, known as the “Epstein files.”
A bipartisan commission of four lawmakers, dubbed the “truth commission,” will lead the investigation with a $2.5 million budget, unanimously approved by the New Mexico House of Representatives. The commission will take testimony from survivors of alleged abuse and will have the authority to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and issue subpoenas. A preliminary report is expected by July 31.
Unlike Epstein's other properties, including his Caribbean island, Manhattan apartment and Palm Beach mansion, Zorro Ranch has received less attention from federal authorities. A previous attempt at an investigation in 2019 by the then-Attorney General of New Mexico was halted at the request of federal prosecutors to avoid parallel investigations. According to the released documents, federal agents did not physically search the property at the time.
In court documents and testimony presented during the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of being an associate of Epstein, several women have said they were sexually abused at Zorro Ranch. Annie Farmer and a witness identified as “Jane” testified in court that they experienced abuse at the property. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most high-profile victims, also said she was trafficked to the ranch when she was 17.
Authorities are also reviewing an anonymous 2019 email that claimed two foreign girls were buried near the property, an allegation that remains unverified. The New Mexico Department of Justice has requested full access to the document to investigate further.
According to the lawmakers who sponsored the initiative, the goal is to examine whether local and state authorities have properly investigated activities on the property and whether legal changes are needed to prevent similar cases in the future.
The investigation will be funded through an agreement between the New Mexico Attorney General's Office and financial institutions, regarding their possible role in the non-identification of trafficking and abuse of minors on Epstein's property.
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