U.S. authorities have intensified their criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, a sprawling 8,000-acre property in Santa Fe, New Mexico, amid allegations that the site was central to his sex trafficking operation. Prosecutors issued preservation orders in May seeking to secure communications involving Epstein, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and others connected to the ranch. Officials aim to safeguard potential evidence before it can be lost or destroyed.
The investigation focuses on claims from at least 10 women and girls who said they were groomed or abused at the Zorro Ranch. Epstein reportedly intended to turn the property into a so-called “baby-making factory” to impregnate multiple victims simultaneously, a plan that a computer scientist familiar with Epstein’s associates described as an effort to “seed the human race with his DNA.” Investigators are seeking to obtain communications from individuals including Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for teen sex trafficking, and Epstein’s former assistant Lesley Groff.
The probe also touches on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles following years of controversy over his alleged connections to Epstein. According to former staff and Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, Mountbatten-Windsor visited Zorro Ranch multiple times. Giuffre had accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual abuse in a U.S. civil case settled without admission of liability in 2022. He has denied any wrongdoing and states he does not recall meeting Giuffre. The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.
In parallel, growing political pressure in the United States is calling for renewed scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities. Sixteen members of Congress have urged the FBI to investigate new evidence regarding his conduct on U.S. soil, following his failure to respond to a request to provide testimony via video before the House Oversight Committee. The Department of Justice recently released photographs that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor in a compromising position with an unidentified woman.
Representative Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, stated that the photographs provide clear grounds for an investigation. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, faces inquiries by at least nine police forces in the United Kingdom related to alleged sexual misconduct and possible abuses connected to his previous role as a trade envoy. He has consistently denied any improper behavior linked to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, members of the House Oversight Committee are set to hear testimony from billionaire Leon Black, who resigned as CEO of a private equity firm in 2021 amid revelations about his financial ties to Epstein. Black has denied knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. Among the issues to be addressed is a reported settlement negotiated by Epstein involving Black and a Russian model, for which Black allegedly paid $100,000 per month over 15 years, totaling approximately $13.5 million.
The investigation into Epstein’s network continues to reveal the extent of secret financial settlements. Maxwell has claimed that 25 wealthy and influential men reached confidential agreements with victims, though the Department of Justice has redacted the names involved. Authorities emphasize that reopening inquiries into Zorro Ranch and related figures is conducted with respect for survivors and a commitment to accountability.