New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has iintiated legal action against the U.S. Department of Justice. He is demanding the release of unredacted files related to Jeffrey Epstein's activities at Zorro Ranch.
The 13,000 Mentions of Zorro Ranch
The core of the legal dispute involves the sheer volume of evidence Raúl Torrez believes the federal government is withholding. According to the report, the Zorro Ranch porperty—once owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—appears approximately 13,000 times within the Epstein files. Raúl Torrez argues that the Department of Justice has failed to provide meaningful data ,claiming that the records received thus far consist primarily of past correspondence and media clippings rather than investigative evidence.
This discrepancy suggests a massive gap between what the Department of Justice acknowledges and what the state of New Mexico believes exists. by focusing on the Zorro Ranch property, Raúl Torrez is attempting to uncover the full scope of crimes committed at the site, an effort that has been stalled since the state's initial investigation began in February.
The Administrative Procedure Act and Claims of Obstruction
To force the federal government's hand, Raúl Torrez is ctiing the Administrative Procedure Act, arguing that the Department of Justice's refusal to turn over the records is both arbitrary and unlawful. As the source reports, the New Mexico Attorney General has gone as far as to accuse the Department of Justice of "obstruction," alleging that federal officials have misled both the public and members of Congress regarding their level of cooperation with the state.
The lawsuit seeks a judicial declaration that the Department of Justice's current withholding of materials is illegal. Raúl Torrez is pushing for complete and unredacted access to the files, asserting that the current lack of transparency is a direct barrier to delivering justice for the victims and survivors associated with Jeffrey Epstein's network.
New Mexico's Position as the Sole Active Investigation
This legal battle highlights a significant failure in federal oversight, as Raúl Torrez claims his office is currently leading the only active investigation in the United States into the associates of Jeffrey Epstein. The report notes that while New Mexico began probing the Zorro Ranch property in February, federal prosecutors requested that the state halt its initial efforts. Despite this request,federal authorities never conducted their own search of the property.
This pattern echoes a broader frustration with how the Jeffrey Epstein case has been handled at the federal level, where high-profile associates have often escaped deep scrutiny. By positioning New Mexico as the last line of defense for survivors, Raúl Torrez is framing this lawsuit not just as a records request, but as a necessary correction to federal inaction.
The DOJ's Defense of Victim Privacy and Touhy Requests
The Department of Justice has countered these claims by stating that its primary obligation is to protect the privacy of victims. according to the report, the Department of Justice argues that neither a desire to cooperate nor the filing of Touhy requests—the formal process for requesting information from federal employees—outweighs the need to keep victim identities and sensitive details confidential .
However, several critical points remain unverified. It is still unclear exactly which "binding court orders" the Department of Justice believes limit its ability to share these files with a state Attorney General. Furthermore, the source does not specify which particular associates of Jeffrey Epstein are mentioned in the 13,000 references to Zorro Ranch, leaving a void in the public's understanding of who exactly the Department of Justice may be shielding under the guise of privacy.
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