Former New Mexico Attorney General says he was sidelined by feds from probe into Epstein’s ranch

Former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says his 2019 investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities at Zorro Ranch was abruptly halted after federal officials asked him to pause so they could take the lead. Balderas agreed, expecting coordination, but records show the FBI never searched the New Mexico property and federal prosecutors later abandoned the case without notifying him. Emails reveal internal FBI concerns about the lack of a search, yet federal authorities claimed they lacked probable cause. Balderas found this “alarming,” saying his office could have helped secure a warrant and offered repeated assistance — but never heard back. He believes key evidence may have been lost and describes the experience as “early signs of a cover-up.” Years later, New Mexico’s current attorney general still has not received unredacted DOJ files on Zorro Ranch. ------------------------------------- Follow Scripps News on other platforms— Join our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2q1tepr Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrippsnews/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/scrippsnews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrippsnews/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scrippsnews