Zorro Ranch

I. The Geography and Early Origins of Zorro Ranch

Located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, near the unincorporated community of Stanley, Zorro Ranch – also known as Rancho de San Rafael – is a vast estate of roughly 7,600–7,622 acres, roughly 30–35 miles southeast of Santa Fe.

The land sits high in the New Mexico desert, where the arid plateau gives way to rugged mesas, juniper groves, and sprawling open sky. Historically, this region was part of a larger Spanish land grant dating back centuries. Over time, as with many ranches in the Southwest, the property passed through various private owners and was primarily used for agricultural and livestock purposes before the modern era.

On the property are not only open fields and desert scrub, but also a large hacienda‑style mansion, guest houses, multiple outbuildings, a firehouse, a private airstrip with hangar, and at least one helipad – a compound designed for both remote privacy and the capacity to entertain at scale.

II. Jeffrey Epstein’s Acquisition and Development (1993–2019)

In 1993, Jeffrey Epstein acquired the property from Bruce King, a three‑time Democratic governor of New Mexico. Epstein paid millions for the roughly 10,000‑acre estate—a sum that would only rise in public infamy after the scandals of the 2000s and 2010s.

Epstein, a financier whose career was marked by connections to the powerful and wealthy, began transforming the ranch into something far beyond a working agricultural property. The centerpiece was a large main residence, reportedly over 26,000 square feet, designed to accommodate grand gatherings. Its living room alone was colloquially described as “the size of an average American home.”

Supporting structures on the property included:

Guest houses for visitors, designed to house numerous people at once.
An airstrip and hangar, allowing private aircraft to land directly on the ranch with ease.
A firehouse and maintenance buildings, serving the functional infrastructure of the estate.
A helipad and labyrinth garden, blending practical use with aesthetic touches.

Epstein also registered a brand of the ranch that combined his initials – symbolically stamping it with his personal signature, a fact that would later take on troubling import given the allegations about how the property was used and who was invited there.

While Epstein owned a network of residences – including a Manhattan townhouse, a Palm Beach mansion, and an island in the Caribbean – Zorro Ranch was distinctive for its seclusion and ability to operate out of sight. There were no neighbors to cross paths with daily, and its sheer size offered places where activities could take place beyond casual observation. Its isolation would later play a central role in the controversies its name inspires.

III. Allegations, Abuse, and the Shadow of Uninvestigated Crimes

Even before the most public of Epstein’s scandals broke in the mid‑2000s and later decades, there were rumblings of abuse and questionable activity at Zorro Ranch.

In the late 1990s, testimonies and civil suits referenced sexual abuse at the ranch. One of the earliest public statements came from Annie Farmer, whose sister Marie Farmer was also involved in Epstein litigation; she claimed she was sexually abused by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell at the ranch as early as 1996.

Reports and leaked files later suggested that Epstein regularly flew in women and girls labeled as “masseuses” to the property – individuals whom, in some instances, survivors claimed were under false pretenses.

Despite these accounts, according to existing public records and survivor advocates:

No federal raid or thorough search of Zorro Ranch ever occurred while Epstein was alive – even as other properties owned by him were extensively investigated.
Local authorities in New Mexico repeatedly faced criticism for failing to investigate allegations thoroughly or register Epstein as a sex offender after his 2008 conviction for soliciting an underage prostitute.

One revealing point of discussion within public discourse and leaked online forums concerned why no significant law enforcement action took place at the ranch despite allegations. A widely shared timeline, based on official legal requests and commentary, shows that while the New Mexico Attorney General’s office interviewed potential victims in 2019, the FBI did not execute a physical raid before Epstein’s arrest and death later that year.

Some whistleblower emails even contained chilling claims that bodies of young girls might have been secretly buried near the property—though such claims remain unverified and distinct from established court evidence and investigations.

In the absence of full law enforcement scrutiny, Zorro Ranch remained an unexamined locus of possible criminal conduct, even as other parts of Epstein’s network were taken apart in public legal proceedings.

IV. The Early 2020s: Sale and New Ownership

Following Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest in July 2019 and subsequent death in custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, his vast estate faced dissolution.

For years, Zorro Ranch lay largely unused, with the Epstein estate maintaining ownership through a series of shell corporations. In 2021, the property was listed for sale with an initial asking price of around $27.5 million, later lowered to $18–21 million amid minimal market interest—likely due to its notorious associations.

In August 2023, the ranch was finally sold at public auction to San Rafael Ranch LLC, a limited liability company. Official property records show this newly formed entity as the registered owner; subsequent investigations traced ownership involvement to Don Huffines, a Texas businessman and Republican political candidate.

Although the purchase price has not been publicly disclosed, state tax records later suggested a valuation of roughly $13.4 million, significantly lower than its initial listing- an apparent reflection of the property’s contested legacy.

Huffines and his family—through San Rafael Ranch—took public steps to rename the property “Rancho de San Rafael” and describe plans to convert it into a Christian retreat dedicated to physical and spiritual healing. Huffines characterized this transition as reclaiming the land “for Jesus” and described the proceeds of the sale as having benefited Epstein’s victims.

V. Emerging State Scrutiny: 2025–2026 Investigations and the “Truth Commission”

Despite the sale and rebranding, the shadow of what may have occurred at Zorro Ranch has not dissipated. Rather, in 2025 and continuing into early 2026, state officials and lawmakers in New Mexico have taken increasing action to understand and document the full scope of activities that took place on the estate under Epstein’s ownership.

The most dramatic development came in early 2026, when the New Mexico House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation to launch a comprehensive inquiry into the ranch and related allegations of abuse and trafficking. This initiative has been described widely as the formation of a bipartisan “truth commission” tasked with portraying an official historical record and conducting the most full-scale review of Zorro Ranch yet.

This state-level probe is notable for several reasons:

Bipartisan support: The commission was authorized by a vote of 62–0, indicating strong legislative determination to pursue transparency.
Subpoena powers: The panel has authorities to compel testimony and documents from witnesses, survivors, and possibly public officials.
Funding: The investigation carries an estimated $2.5 million budget, drawn in part from settlements with financial institutions implicated in failing to track or report abusive conduct tied to Epstein properties.
Timeline: Initial reports are expected by July 31, 2026, with a comprehensive final report projected by December 31, 2026.

Lawmakers have framed the commission’s work as essential for uncovering not just potential criminal activity at the ranch but also possible systemic failures within New Mexico law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and local authorities that may have allowed Epstein’s conduct to go unchecked.

State Representatives involved in the effort have publicly encouraged potential witnesses to come forward – and have highlighted the gap between federal investigations of Epstein’s network (focused primarily on his New York, Palm Beach, and Caribbean properties) and the lack of focused investigation on his New Mexico estate.

VI. Legal, Social, and Ethical Implications

The unfolding investigation into Zorro Ranch raises wide-ranging questions about how institutions handle allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking when powerful and connected individuals are involved. Several key themes emerge:

1. Gaps in Previous Law Enforcement Action

Despite allegations from survivors and documentation that referenced activity at Zorro Ranch, the property was never fully searched or prosecuted by federal authorities before Epstein’s death. This contrasts with actions taken against other Epstein properties and highlights a fragmentation in investigative focus that critics argue allowed important evidence and testimony to go uncollected.

State authorities such as the New Mexico Attorney General’s office did explore allegations in 2019 but ultimately faced pressure from federal prosecutors to defer, leading to an incomplete inquiry.

2. Accountability and Public Transparency

The formation of a state truth commission represents an unusual but potentially significant model for assigning historical and legal accountability outside federal channels. By subpoenaing testimony and collecting records, the commission aims to reconstruct a narrative that has until now been fragmented and incomplete.

The commission also represents an effort to legally and publicly record the experiences of survivors, contributing to both historical record and potential civil litigation.

3. Reclamation and Repurposing of Tainted Spaces

The sale and rebranding of Zorro Ranch as Rancho de San Rafael – and the prospective conversion into a Christian retreat – illustrates an attempt to redemptively reclaim and reinterpret a space with a troubling past. Whether such transformation succeeds, and how it interacts with ongoing investigations and survivor experiences, remains a matter of public debate.

Critics argue that spiritual repurposing may obscure unresolved legal and moral questions about what occurred on the land, while supporters contend that it represents a meaningful effort to redirect a place associated with harm toward healing.

4. Public Memory, Media, and Political Narrative

Zorro Ranch has come to symbolize many broader societal concerns: the tension between wealth and justice, the influence of political connections in avoiding scrutiny, and the role of public institutions in confronting crime involving well-connected offenders.

The involvement of Don Huffines – a politically visible figure with public identification as a Republican candidate – has further intertwined the ranch’s identity with ongoing cultural and political discourse. Huffines has emphasized cooperation with investigators and framed the sale proceeds as benefiting victims.