The Ranch Was Sold in August 2023 and Is Now Owned by Businessman Don Huffines

New Mexico has sued the US Department of Justice and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, accusing the federal agency of stonewalling the state's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a court filing Wednesday, state Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, said the DOJ is unlawfully withholding unredacted materials critical to probing Epstein's activities at Zorro Ranch, a property he owned in New Mexico from 1993 until his death in 2019. "Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve, Torrez said in a press release. The DOJ has argued that privacy law bars it from sharing unredacted documents, saying, "To capitulate to their demands would be to break federal law.

The lawsuit escalates a months-long feud between Torrez and the Trump administration. New Mexico first opened its investigation in February 2019, but the DOJ asked it to stand down that July, and the probe languished after Epstein's suicide in a New York jail cell. The ranch was sold in August 2023 and is now owned by businessman Don Huffines.

The lawsuit alleges federal law enforcement never searched the property or seized evidence. Renewed public interest followed Trump's 2025 re-election, with his administration including officials who spread conspiracy theories about an unreleased client list, which former Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel later denied existed. Trump, who socialized with Epstein before severing ties, has denied knowledge of his crimes. A bipartisan push last November led to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the DOJ to release related files within 30 days.