New Mexico Demands Epstein Files as State Investigation Stalls
In a move that exposes the deep fractures in federal-state cooperation, New Mexico has taken the unprecedented step of suing the US Department of Justice for access to unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, accuses the federal agency of deliberately obstructing the state's probe into the late sex offender, a case that continues to haunt the Trump administration.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, reopened the state's Epstein investigation in February and immediately requested unredacted DOJ files. The goal: to identify visitors and staff at Zorro Ranch, Epstein's sprawling property near Stanley, New Mexico, where he allegedly committed crimes or where witnesses may have been present. But the DOJ has provided only partial files, citing privacy protections under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and court orders.
“Federal inaction does not merely stall the investigation; it prolongs and compounds the suffering of survivors,” the state's lawsuit argues, demanding that acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche be compelled to release the documents. The DOJ fired back, stating that “New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures.”
Why Is the Epstein Investigation Stalled?
Over five months into the probe, Torrez has yet to announce any results. In a call with reporters, he admitted that the state is devoting “substantial” resources but declined to elaborate. “We haven't charged someone because we need to see those files before we charge someone,” he said bluntly. The delay is compounded by the decades that have passed since Epstein's alleged crimes, the disappearance of evidence after the ranch was sold in 2023, and possible jurisdictional issues.
New Mexico authorities claim the DOJ reneged on a 2019 deal. Under that agreement, the state halted its Epstein probe and handed over evidence to the federal agency in exchange for continued information sharing on survivors and crimes. That promise, they say, was never fulfilled.
State Commission Reveals Dozens of Potential Victims
Also on Wednesday, New Mexico legislators released an interim report from their independent Truth Commission probe. The evidence to date shows that Epstein abused at least five women and girls at Zorro Ranch between 1996 and 2012. The commission has identified at least 30 other individuals who potentially were abused in New Mexico. Some may be witnesses, others facilitators, and some both, the report said.
Commission Chair Andrea Romero presented findings that of the first 20 subpoenas issued to entities ranging from law enforcement to a Santa Fe scientific institute, over 100,000 records have been returned. But seven subpoenas were refused or ignored, including a request to the Federal Aviation Administration for Epstein's flight records and a subpoena to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York for evidence New Mexico investigators handed over in 2019 that has never been returned.
What Does This Mean for Justice?
This case is a stark reminder that even within the United States, justice can be slow and obstructed by bureaucracy. For Israel, which has faced its own battles against international crime networks and sexual exploitation, the lesson is clear: transparency and accountability must never be sacrificed for political convenience. The fight for the Epstein files is not just about New Mexico. It is about ensuring that no victim is forgotten and no perpetrator protected.
As the lawsuit moves forward in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, all eyes are on the DOJ. Will it release the files, or will it continue to shield the truth? For the survivors and their families, the answer cannot come soon enough.