Epstein’s Zorro Ranch: New Mexico Approves Full Investigation Into Property - Beritaja

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New Mexico lawmakers person passed authorities to motorboat a afloat investigation into what happened astatine Zorro Ranch, wherever convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women.

The authorities was unanimously approved connected Monday and creates a typical committee of authorities representatives, including 4 representatives from some awesome parties, who are tasked pinch investigating what happened astatine the ranch.

A bipartisan committee will activity grounds from survivors of alleged intersexual maltreatment astatine the ranch, which was purchased by Epstein successful 1993. He owned the spot until his decease successful 2019, and his property put it up for waste successful 2021.

Legislators are besides urging area residents to attest and are seeking to identify immoderate ranch guests and authorities officials who whitethorn person known what was going connected astatine Epstein’s spot aliases taken portion successful alleged intersexual maltreatment successful the mansion aliases impermanent houses.

The investigation comes weeks aft the Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related files that shed caller ray connected the ranch, revealing ties betwixt Epstein and a erstwhile lawyer wide of New Mexico and 2 erstwhile Democratic governors.

The investigation intends to adjacent gaps successful a New Mexico rule that whitethorn person allowed Epstein to run successful the authorities and will costs US$2.5 million, according to Reuters.

Bill sponsor authorities Rep. Andrea Romero said the subcommittee will usage lawsuit powers, nationalist records and grounds to “put the full communicative together,” Source New Mexico reports.

In a connection pursuing the unanimous vote, Romero said the group of New Mexico “deserve to cognize the truth about what went connected astatine the Zorro Ranch and who knew about it.”

“We person heard years of allegations and rumours about Epstein’s activities successful New Mexico, but unfortunately, national investigations person grounded to put together an charismatic record,” Romero continued. “With this Truth Commission, we could yet capable successful the gaps by investigating the failures that led to the horrific allegations of maltreatment and crime astatine Zorro Ranch, truthful we could study from them and forestall specified atrocities from taking spot successful our authorities going forward.”

The committee will statesman its investigation connected Tuesday and plans to present interim findings by July 31, pinch a last study expected by the extremity of the year.

This comes aft allegations that 2 girls were buried adjacent the ranch. The New Mexico Department of Justice wrote a letter to national officials connected Feb. 13 asking for unredacted copies of an anonymous 2019 email to a section power big alleging that “foreign girls” died astatine the Zorro Ranch.

New Mexico Department of Justice Chief of Staff Lauren Rodriguez told Source NM they person not received a consequence to the missive and “are reviewing each due avenues to analyse the allegations raised, arsenic good arsenic immoderate further ones that whitethorn emerge.”

Victim advocates applauded the move, saying Zorro Ranch, which is mentioned successful the Epstein files much than 4,000 times, had been overlooked by national investigations that focused connected Epstein’s Caribbean land and New York townhouse.

“Many of the survivors had experiences successful New Mexico, and arsenic we’ve learned, you know, location were section politicians and different group that were alert of what was happening successful New Mexico,” lawyer Sigrid McCawley, whose rule patient has represented hundreds of Epstein survivors, told Reuters.

In the documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, erstwhile Santa Fe massage therapist Rachel Benavidez accused Epstein of intersexual maltreatment erstwhile she was hired to activity astatine the ranch.

While Epstein ne'er faced charges successful New Mexico, the authorities lawyer general’s agency successful 2019 confirmed it was investigating and had interviewed imaginable victims who visited the property.

In 2023, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez ordered an investigation into financial businesses utilized by Epstein and their ineligible obligations, said agency spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez. That resulted successful agreements pinch 2 banks that dedicate $17 cardinal to the prevention of quality trafficking, she said.

The ranch is presently owned by Texas businessman and leader Don Huffines, who said he bought and renamed the spot Rancho de San Rafael successful 2023 and plans to move it into a Christian retreat.

“In 2023, 4 years aft Epstein’s death, San Rafael Ranch had been listed connected the unfastened marketplace for years and was scheduled for nationalist auction,” he wrote Monday in a station connected X. “At the clip of the sale, it was marketed that the proceeds would spell to the victims. It has since been confirmed by the estate’s attorneys that proceeds from the waste benefited the victims.”

Huffines, who is presently moving for agency successful Texas, said he has cooperated pinch authorities.

“By 2024, my family’s ownership was nationalist and had been posted connected societal media. We person ever maintained an unfastened statement of connection pinch section authorities,” he wrote.

“No rule enforcement agency has ever approached maine to petition access, and I person ever said unequivocally that immoderate specified petition would beryllium met pinch contiguous entree and afloat cooperation. This is what hopeless governmental opponents do: last-minute lies and soiled tricks,” Huffines’ station concluded.

— With files from Reuters and The Associated Press

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