Among the properties that allegedly served as hubs for Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse was the sprawling ranch that he maintained in New Mexico.
As the Trump administration continues to face criticism for its redactions and withholding of material related to the deceased sex predator’s crimes and his inner circle, state lawmakers in New Mexico are hoping a “truth commission” and its probe of Epstein’s property, known as Zorro Ranch, can fill in some gaps.
On Monday, New Mexico’s state House approved a bill to establish the commission to investigate activities at the ranch. One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic state Rep. Andrea Romero, gave a statement after its passage that made clear she sees the commission as a means to make up for investigatory failures at the federal level.
As local outlet Source New Mexico reported:
In a statement following the vote, Romero said New Mexicans ‘deserve to know the truth about what went on at the Zorro Ranch and who knew about it. We have heard years of allegations and rumors about Epstein’s activities in New Mexico, but unfortunately, federal investigations have failed to put together an official record. With this Truth Commission, we can finally fill in the gaps by investigating the failures that led to the horrific allegations of abuse and crime at Zorro Ranch, so we can learn from them and prevent such atrocities from taking place in our state going forward.’
In 2019, the year Epstein died by suicide while incarcerated and awaiting trial, The New York Times reported that the Zorro Ranch was the site that Epstein had picked to launch a project to “seed [the] human race with his DNA.”
Per the Times:
Jeffrey E. Epstein, the wealthy financier who is accused of sex trafficking, had an unusual dream: He hoped to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women at his vast New Mexico ranch. Mr. Epstein over the years confided to scientists and others about his scheme, according to four people familiar with his thinking, although there is no evidence that it ever came to fruition. Mr. Epstein’s vision reflected his longstanding fascination with what has become known as transhumanism: the science of improving the human population through technologies like genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. Critics have likened transhumanism to a modern-day version of eugenics, the discredited field of improving the human race through controlled breeding.
I’ve previously written about Epstein’s fascination with eugenics and his support for right-wing ideologues who were taken with the idea of transhumanism.
New Mexico’s “truth commission” could uncover more details about this disturbing fascination of his and other potential abuses perpetrated at the Zorro Ranch. But the increased attention on the ranch is already having some political consequences.
The Santa Fe New Mexican, another local outlet, first reported that the ranch is currently owned by the family of Don Huffines, a pro-Trump candidate in Texas who’s running to be state comptroller. “Four years after Mr. Epstein’s death, the Huffines family purchased property in New Mexico listed at public auction whose proceeds benefited his victims,” a spokesperson for the family told the New Mexican. “Prior to the auction listing, they had never visited the property.” On his website, Huffines touts endorsements from several high-profile Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the deceased activist Charlie Kirk. Early voting in the Texas primaries began today. In a post to X on Monday, Huffines said his family plans to turn the ranch into a “Christian retreat,” and that suggestions his family hasn’t been transparent about the purchase of the property or hasn’t cooperated with law enforcement are “last-minute lies and dirty tricks” by political opponents.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. 
