New Mexico filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, alleging the federal government deliberately obstructed the state’s criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes at his New Mexico ranch.

Federal Stonewalling Alleged

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., claims the Justice Department rejected information-sharing requests that were previously standard practice between state and federal investigators. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez accused federal officials of taking actions that “actively harms victims and undermines the public interest” by withholding critical evidence. The complaint seeks judicial intervention to force federal authorities to turn over materials essential to the state’s ongoing criminal probe.

Torrez and his senior prosecutors documented sustained resistance from the Justice Department, which insisted on formal information requests but then rejected them after submission. The lawsuit argues that federal officials are hiding information about Epstein and his co-conspirators at a time when New Mexico remains one of the few jurisdictions capable of holding Epstein’s associates accountable or delivering justice to survivors.

Ranch Investigation Details

The lawsuit coincides with New Mexico’s release of a report detailing preliminary findings from its investigation into Epstein and his sprawling estate in Stanley, New Mexico. Epstein purchased the property in 1993 from former Democratic Governor Bruce King, building a hilltop mansion with a private airstrip and helipad approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe. Witness testimony at Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 sex trafficking trial revealed that Epstein and Maxwell sexually abused women at the ranch.

Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail in New York City in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, his former girlfriend and close associate, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction. The Epstein estate sold the New Mexico property in 2023 to the family of Don Huffines, recently appointed Texas state comptroller, who renamed it San Rafael Ranch and plans to operate a Christian retreat there.

Transparency Act Failures

The Justice Department began releasing investigative records on Epstein and Maxwell in December under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, accusers and congressional members who championed the legislation quickly complained about inadequate redactions, excessive sealed materials, and released documents that were either already public or heavily blacked out. Many records, including photographs, interview transcripts, and call logs, lacked necessary context to be meaningful. The state lawsuit highlights how these transparency failures directly impede New Mexico’s ability to pursue criminal accountability for crimes committed within its jurisdiction.