SANTA FE, N.M.- New Mexico’s Department of Justice said Wednesday it is investigating an allegation that late financier Jeffrey Epstein ordered the burial of two foreign girls outside his remote Zorro Ranch.
The allegation surfaced in documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice. State spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez said officials have requested an unredacted copy of a 2019 email that contains the claim. Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the FBI declined to comment.
Rodriguez said the state is actively reviewing the allegation and conducting a broader assessment following the latest federal document release. A day earlier, New Mexico lawmakers launched what they described as the first comprehensive legislative investigation into accusations that Epstein abused girls and women at the ranch for more than two decades.
Email offered alleged videos and burial location in exchange for bitcoin
The redacted 2019 email was sent to Eddy Aragon, a New Mexico radio host who had discussed Zorro Ranch on air. The sender, claiming to be a former ranch employee, sought one bitcoin in exchange for videos allegedly showing Epstein engaging in sex with minors and information about burial sites.
Aragon said he believed the message appeared credible and forwarded it to the FBI. He added that he neither paid the sender nor maintained further contact. Additionally, a 2021 FBI report confirmed that Aragon reported the email to federal authorities.
However, the Justice Department previously cautioned that some released files contain unverified or false claims. Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019. Authorities ruled his death a suicide.
