New evidence has emerged showing that federal prosecutors ordered New Mexico investigators to shut down their probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s New Mexico ranch in 2019.
The discovery is raising new questions about how the federal government handled key aspects of the Epstein investigation.
The order came from then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, the daughter of disgraced former FBI Director James Comey.
According to newly reported details, state officials agreed to halt their investigation after federal prosecutors promised access to additional evidence related to Epstein’s trafficking network.
That evidence, however, was never delivered.
Federal Prosecutors Pressured State to End Investigation
In September 2019, New Mexico authorities shut down their active investigation into Epstein’s sprawling Zorro Ranch, a 7,500-acre estate south of Santa Fe that Epstein purchased from former New Mexico Governor Bruce King’s family in 1993.
The site has recently drawn renewed attention after emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) suggested that Epstein murdered victims on the ranch and buried them near the property.
Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas revealed that prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) pressured his office to terminate the probe in 2019.
According to Balderas, federal officials argued that parallel investigations could produce conflicting witness testimony that Epstein’s defense lawyers might later exploit.
In exchange for ending the state investigation, federal prosecutors promised to share evidence from their own probe.
That promise was never fulfilled.
Email Confirms New Mexico Turned Over Evidence
On September 8, 2019, Maurene Comey confirmed in an email that Balderas’ office had agreed to halt its investigation and transfer all related materials to federal authorities.
The email exchange occurred less than a month after Epstein allegedly died in federal custody.
By September 17, New Mexico Chief Deputy Attorney General Clara Moran had sent federal prosecutors extensive materials from the state probe, including:
- Police reports
- Recorded witness testimony
- Documents related to Epstein’s use of New Mexico state land
Despite the agreement, federal prosecutors never provided the promised evidence in return.
Federal Agents Never Even Searched the Ranch
By July 2020, after months of receiving no information from federal officials, Balderas sent a letter urging federal prosecutors to seize the ranch through civil forfeiture.
“We believe that this ranch was utilized by Epstein and others to facilitate and conceal the ongoing trafficking of children,” the letter stated.
Balderas reportedly received no response.
An internal federal email from December 2019 later confirmed that investigators had “not searched the New Mexico property.”
Millions of Epstein Documents Released, but Missing Key Files
When the Department of Justice released more than three million pages of Epstein-related documents on January 30, 2026, none of the investigative materials from New Mexico were included.
The absence of those records has raised new questions about what happened to the evidence gathered during the state investigation.
Notably, it was recently revealed that the FBI’s computer network was hacked and millions of Epstein-related files were destroyed, as Slay News reported.
New Investigation And Truth Commission Launched
The fallout has been significant.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez reopened the criminal investigation into Zorro Ranch on February 18.
Meanwhile, the New Mexico House voted unanimously to create a bipartisan truth commission with subpoena power and a budget exceeding $2 million to investigate the case.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), who has reviewed unredacted federal files, said that multiple prominent New Mexicans are named in the investigation.
In a separate development, New Mexico authorities are also examining claims contained in a redacted email alleging that two foreign girls who died at the ranch were buried nearby at Epstein’s direction.
Key Prosecutor Fired By Trump DOJ
Maurene Comey, the federal prosecutor who negotiated the agreement with New Mexico, was fired by the Trump Justice Department in July 2025.
No official explanation was given for her dismissal.
Meanwhile, Epstein’s former ranch property was sold in 2023 to a Texas developer who plans to convert the site into a Christian retreat.
Balderas: Investigation Should Have Expanded
Balderas said the federal decision to halt the state investigation severely limited efforts to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s activities in New Mexico.
“The inquiry should have been expanded, not restricted,” Balderas said.
READ MORE – Reid Hoffman Emailed Creepy Code Words to Epstein After Visiting His Island
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