(The Center Square) – New Mexico lawmakers are moving at lightning speed to bring justice to individuals who say they were trafficked as children and repeatedly raped at a ranch owned by convicted felon Jeffrey Epstein.
The New Mexico Department of Justice has reopened a criminal investigation into the Epstein ranch now owned by Texas Republican Don Huffines, who secretly purchased the property in 2023.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said he ordered his office to reopen an investigation into allegations of illegal activity at the ranch. The state’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.”
Under the first Trump administration, U.S. Attorney Maureen Comey instructed former New Mexico AG Hector Balderas to provide her office with their sex trafficking related materials and stop investigating, The Center Square reported. Balderas provided documents of “police reports, recorded witness interviews, correspondence amongst New Mexico State agencies, and documents related to Epstein’s leasing of New Mexico public lands.”
Since then, Torrez has obtained previously sealed FBI files, which “warrant a further examination.”
“Special agents and prosecutors at the New Mexico Department of Justice will be seeking immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file and intend to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners as well as the Epstein Truth Commission recently established by the New Mexico legislature,” he 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. We are moving quickly and deliberately on this issue and will provide updates as appropriate.”
On Monday, the New Mexico legislature passed a resolution authorizing a special investigative committee to hold hearings and investigate sex trafficking that allegedly occurred at the ranch and potentially on state land and neighboring properties in Santa Fe County. Epstein’s Virgin Islands company purchased the property in 1993 and began leasing state land reportedly for cattle grazing. After Stephanie Garcia was sworn in as New Mexico’s land commissioner in 2019, one of her first acts was to cancel the leases and to call for an investigation into sex trafficking. After more information was released through the Epstein files about the ranch, including the potential burial of sex trafficked victims, she again called on the New Mexico Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico to investigate, The Center Square reported.
On Tuesday, the state legislative Truth Commission held its first hearing and is asking child trafficking and rape survivors to come forward, ensuring their statements will be kept confidential. It is also providing services to help them and others and offering 24/7 services through NMSAhelp.org.
The failure to investigate at the state legislative level was an expressed concern of the Truth Commission saying not doing so would “continue to affect the safety and welfare of the state and that continued legislative inaction threatens public confidence in state government.”
Also on Thursday, the state legislature came closer to passing a bill to eliminate limitations for prosecuting a range of violent crimes. It nearly unanimously passed; amendments were approved Thursday and it will soon head to the governor to sign.
The bill eliminates any time constraints to prosecute a capital felony; first degree violent felony; second degree murder; second, third or fourth degree criminal sexual penetration; second, third or fourth degree criminal sexual contact of a minor; second, third or fourth degree attempt to commit a felony if the crime attempted is criminal sexual penetration and criminal contact of a minor; second, third or fourth degree conspiracy and the crime conspired to be committed is criminal sexual penetration or criminal contact of a minor; second, third or fourth degree criminal solicitation, if the crime solicited is criminal sexual penetration or criminal contact of a minor.
It also adds a section, “Alleged Violations For The Abandonment Or Abuse Of A Child–Tolling Of Statute Of Limitations,” stating the applicable time period to begin prosecution for an alleged violation of abandonment or abuse of a child, until the victim turns 18 “or the violation is reported to a law enforcement agency, whichever occurs first.”
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act into law, which eliminated time constraints for survivors to file civil claims against their abusers. Now there is no federal statute of limitation to prosecute sex abuse crimes against minors, including forced labor, sex trafficking, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.
There are no federal or state limitations to prosecute murder.
Properties where crimes are alleged to have been committed – including a decades-long child sex trafficking operation – are considered a potential crime scene by law enforcement, several Texas law enforcement authorities told The Center Square. If human remains, including bones or other evidence are found, law enforcement officers begin a homicide investigation.
