--- category: Landmark created: 2026-06-20 location: Stanley, New Mexico (Santa Fe County) summary: Zorro Ranch is the roughly 7,600- to 10,000-acre New Mexico property near Stanley, south of Santa Fe, that Jeffrey Epstein acquired in 1993 from the family of former Governor Bruce King, built into a hilltop mansion compound with a private airstrip, where victims alleged abuse and where the New York Times reported he discussed a plan to seed the human race with his DNA, and which New Mexico reopened a criminal investigation and a legislative inquiry into in 2026. tags: - Place - JeffreyEpstein - NewMexico - SexTrafficking - Property - Eugenics - Ranch updated: 2026-06-20 --- Zorro Ranch is a property of roughly 7,600 to 10,000 acres near Stanley in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, that [Jeffrey Epstein](/people/jeffrey-epstein/) acquired in 1993 from the family of the former New Mexico Governor Bruce King. Epstein built a large hilltop mansion there along with a private airstrip and outbuildings, combining deeded land with state grazing leases that extended his control over the surrounding terrain. Victims alleged that abuse occurred at the ranch, the [New York Times](/organizations/new-york-times/) reported in 2019 that Epstein discussed using the site to seed the human race with his DNA, Epstein never registered as a sex offender in New Mexico, and the state reopened a criminal investigation and launched a legislative inquiry into the property in 2026.[^1][^2][^3] ### Acquisition and the King Family Epstein purchased Zorro Ranch in 1993 from the family of Bruce King, the longest-serving governor in New Mexico history, in a transaction reported at around 12 million dollars. The King family had used the property for cattle ranching, and in 1993 Bruce King and his son Gary King, who later served as New Mexico Attorney General, were reported to be in financial difficulty. Epstein retained ties to the prominent King family for years afterward.[^4] The acquisition combined deeded land with state grazing leases that Epstein obtained, giving him effective control over a wider expanse than the land he owned outright and adding to the property's isolation, with the nearest neighbors miles away and Santa Fe about 30 miles to the north. Reported acreage figures vary, with sources citing roughly 7,600 acres, about 8,000 acres, and figures up to 10,000 acres depending on whether leased land is included.[^4] The property's remoteness and the combination of owned and leased acreage gave Epstein a secluded compound far from any town. The same isolation later featured in victim accounts and in the questions New Mexico investigators raised about how activity at the ranch escaped earlier scrutiny.[^4][^2] ### The Compound and Airstrip Epstein had a large hacienda-style mansion built on a hilltop at the ranch, with county records placing the start of construction in 1999. The main house was reported at roughly 26,000 to 33,000 square feet, and the construction was carried out by Bradbury Stamm Construction, a major New Mexico contractor whose work has included facilities at federal sites in the state. Reporting noted that the contractor's phone number appeared among the entries in Epstein's contact directory.[^5] The compound included a private airstrip with a hangar and a helipad, a ranch office, a firehouse, and a seven-bay heated garage, alongside a sprawling courtyard. The airstrip allowed direct private-aircraft access to the property, consistent with the pattern of movement Epstein maintained across his network of homes.[^5] Photographs of the interior released after Epstein's death showed eccentric and elaborate furnishings. Some later reporting described unusual features of the construction, and various claims about hidden or underground structures circulated; claims sourced only to unverified outlets are not reproduced here, and the documented record covers the mansion, airstrip, and outbuildings built by Bradbury Stamm.[^5] ### The DNA and Eugenics Reporting The New York Times reported in 2019 that Epstein had told scientists and associates of a plan to use Zorro Ranch as the site of a project to seed the human race with his DNA, describing an idea in which numerous women would be inseminated with his sperm and give birth at the ranch. The reporting attributed the account to people familiar with Epstein's thinking and noted no evidence that the plan was ever carried out.[^6] The same reporting connected the idea to Epstein's stated interest in transhumanism, a movement combining genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to alter human beings, and to his cultivation of scientists. The plan as reported was a scheme Epstein discussed rather than an executed program, and it remains attributed account rather than an adjudicated finding.[^6] Allegations later compiled by New Mexico investigators and survivors connected the ranch to claims of forced births and eugenics, drawing on survivor accounts, diary entries, and files released by the federal government. These allegations are victim testimony and contested claims, and the state's 2026 inquiries were framed in part around examining them.[^2] ### Victim Allegations of Abuse At least ten girls and young women have alleged that they were groomed or assaulted at Zorro Ranch, with accounts beginning in the late 1990s, according to reporting and to New Mexico officials. These accounts are victim testimony and allegations, and Epstein was never charged with any crime in New Mexico.[^7] New Mexico prosecutors confirmed in 2019 that they had interviewed possible victims who had visited the ranch, and survivors and investigators later described allegations including rape and sexual assault of minors at the property. The allegations drew on survivor accounts, diary entries, and documents released from the federal Epstein files. Some uncorroborated claims, including a 2019 email alleging that bodies were buried near the ranch, also circulated and were noted by investigators as unverified.[^2][^7] Epstein never registered as a sex offender in New Mexico despite his 2008 [Florida](/places/florida/) conviction and registration, a gap that later drew attention from state officials examining whether the ranch's activity escaped scrutiny. New York's July 2019 federal indictment concerned conduct in New York and Florida and did not charge conduct in New Mexico.[^2][^7] ### The New Mexico Investigations The New Mexico Attorney General's office opened an inquiry in 2019 under then-Attorney General Hector Balderas, interviewing possible victims, but halted the effort in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York to avoid a parallel investigation. In 2026 the office, under Attorney General Raul Torrez, reopened the criminal investigation, stating that revelations in previously sealed FBI files warranted further examination.[^2][^8] On March 10, 2026, state investigators from the New Mexico Department of Justice began a search of the former Zorro Ranch with the cooperation of the current owners, examining allegations that the property may have been used for sexual abuse and sex trafficking. The department's spokesperson confirmed the search in a public statement tied to the reopened investigation.[^8] In February 2026 the New Mexico Legislature established a bipartisan investigative committee, described in reporting as a "truth commission," to examine activity at the ranch and whether local authorities looked the other way. The panel, led by Representative Andrea Romero, received subpoena power and a multimillion-dollar budget funded through a prior settlement with Epstein's banks, and by mid-2026 it had issued subpoenas to state agencies, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, and other entities and called on survivors to come forward.[^9] ### Listing and Sale Epstein's estate listed Zorro Ranch for sale in July 2021 at an asking price of 27.5 million dollars, with a later report indicating the asking price had dropped to about 18 million dollars. The property did not sell at the listed price.[^10] In 2023 the ranch was sold through a public auction to San Rafael Ranch LLC, an entity tied to the family of the former Texas state senator Don Huffines, for an undisclosed price, with proceeds directed toward the estate's creditors. The property was renamed San Rafael Ranch in 2024.[^11] Reporting in 2026 identified the Huffines-family ownership and connected it to Huffines's political activity in Texas. The current owners cooperated with the New Mexico Department of Justice search in March 2026. (The prior research note that the ranch was "listed for sale and unsold" reflects the 2021 listing, which did not sell at the asking price; the property was subsequently sold via auction in 2023, a conflict flagged here.)[^11][^8] [^1]: "New Mexico prosecutors search Jeffrey Epstein's secluded former Zorro Ranch." *PBS NewsHour,* March 10, 2026. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/new-mexico-prosecutors-search-jeffrey-epsteins-secluded-former-zorro-ranch (acquisition in 1993 from Bruce King; location near Stanley; hilltop mansion and private runway; March 10, 2026 search). [^2]: "How Epstein lured girls to his Zorro Ranch and kept authorities away." *NBC News,* 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-lured-girls-zorro-ranch-new-mexico-investigation-jeffrey-rcna261370 ; "New Mexico reopens investigation into allegations at Epstein's former Zorro Ranch." *CBS News,* 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-mexico-reopens-investigation-jeffrey-epstein-zorro-ranch/ (victim interviews in 2019; 2019 halt at federal request; 2026 reopening; allegations including forced births). [^3]: "New Investigation Launched into Epstein's 7,600-Acre Zorro Ranch." *Time,* 2026. https://time.com/7379228/epstein-zorro-ranch-investigation/ (acreage; legislative investigation; New York Times DNA reporting). [^4]: "Jeffrey Epstein maintained ties to New Mexico's prominent King family for years." *Santa Fe New Mexican,* 2026. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/epstein/jeffrey-epstein-maintained-ties-to-new-mexicos-prominent-king-family-for-years/article_ec207bfd-18f9-47b2-b8b6-ad519bfa3b52.html (1993 purchase from Bruce King for about 12 million dollars; Gary King; King family ranching; state grazing leases; isolation). [^5]: "Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch listed for $27.5 million." *NBC News,* July 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-s-new-mexico-ranch-listed-27-5-million-n1273048 ; "Terrifying Details Exposed on Who Built Epstein's New Mexico Ranch." *The New Republic,* 2026. https://newrepublic.com/post/209552/military-contractor-build-epstein-new-mexico-ranch-nuclear (mansion built by Bradbury Stamm Construction; construction begun 1999; airstrip, hangar, helipad, firehouse, garage; contractor in Epstein's contact directory). [^6]: For the 2019 reporting that Epstein discussed seeding the human race with his DNA at the ranch and his interest in transhumanism, see "Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA." *The New York Times,* July 31, 2019, as summarized in "New Investigation Launched into Epstein's 7,600-Acre Zorro Ranch." *Time,* 2026. https://time.com/7379228/epstein-zorro-ranch-investigation/ ; the account is attributed to people familiar with Epstein's thinking and there is no evidence the plan was carried out. [^7]: "How Epstein lured girls to his Zorro Ranch and kept authorities away." *NBC News,* 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/epstein-lured-girls-zorro-ranch-new-mexico-investigation-jeffrey-rcna261370 (at least ten alleged victims beginning in the late 1990s; Epstein never charged in New Mexico; never registered there; 2019 federal indictment did not charge New Mexico conduct). [^8]: "Statement from New Mexico Department of Justice Spokesperson Regarding Today's Search of the Former 'Zorro Ranch.'" *New Mexico Department of Justice,* March 10, 2026. https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/statement-from-new-mexico-department-of-justice-spokesperson-regarding-todays-search-of-the-former-zorro-ranch/ (search with cooperation of current owners; reopened investigation under AG Raul Torrez). [^9]: "New Mexico 'Truth Commission' begins investigation into Epstein's Zorro Ranch, will issue subpoenas." *CNN,* June 1, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/01/politics/new-mexico-truth-commission-epstein-zorro-ranch-subpoenas (February 2026 establishment; Representative Andrea Romero; subpoena power; budget funded through a settlement with Epstein's banks; subpoenas issued to state agencies and the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office). [^10]: "Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch listed for $27.5 million." *NBC News,* July 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-s-new-mexico-ranch-listed-27-5-million-n1273048 ; "Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico Ranch Lists For $27.5M." *Inman,* July 1, 2021. https://www.inman.com/2021/07/01/jeffrey-epsteins-new-mexico-ranch-lists-for-27-5m/ [^11]: "Texas businessman running for office owns Epstein's Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County." *Santa Fe New Mexican,* 2026. https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/texas-businessman-running-for-office-owns-epsteins-zorro-ranch-in-santa-fe-county/article_14a05944-1e00-47c8-a4c3-071895abfb57.html ; "Huffines family revealed as buyer of Epstein's Zorro Ranch in New Mexico." *The Real Deal,* February 17, 2026. https://therealdeal.com/texas/2026/02/17/huffines-family-bought-epsteins-zorro-ranch-in-new-mexico/ (2023 public-auction sale to San Rafael Ranch LLC, tied to the Huffines family; renamed San Rafael Ranch in 2024; proceeds to creditors).