New Mexico AG accuses DOJ of withholding Epstein ranch files

New Mexico's top prosecutor has publicly accused the U.S. Department of Justice of obstructing the state's criminal investigation into activities at the late financier Jeffrey Epstein's former ranch. Attorney General Raúl Torrez released a letter on Thursday, July 9, 2026, that he sent to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on June 30, alleging the federal agency has withheld unredacted records for more than 130 days, undermining the state's ability to pursue justice.

The state reopened its investigation into Epstein's Zorro Ranch property south of Santa Fe in February. Torrez's office contends the heavily redacted documents already obtained from the federal government establish that multiple survivors were brought to the ranch on numerous occasions and subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation. The attorney general argues that the unredacted records are essential because they contain the names of survivors, witnesses, and potential co-conspirators needed to build a prosecution.

In his letter, Torrez warned that the prolonged delay is causing irreparable harm to the investigation. He stated that witnesses relocate, memories fade, and physical evidence degrades with time. The...