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The state’s case could have real consequences: prosecutors say they need the unredacted files to identify people who visited or worked at Zorro Ranch and may have witnessed or participated in abuse. Witness testimony at Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 trial alleged that she and Epstein abused women at the property.
Torrez has said his office hasn’t filed charges yet precisely because it’s still waiting on the files. “We haven’t charged someone because we need to see those files before we charge someone,” he told reporters.
The DOJ’s Response
The Justice Department pushed back, saying that under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and existing protective court orders, it is neither required nor permitted to hand over material that could identify victims. A DOJ spokesperson said New Mexico had not provided a lawful basis for the scope of disclosure it’s demanding.
The Bigger Picture
The filing lands the same week New Mexico’s House of Representatives released its own interim report on Epstein, concluding that officials responsible for protecting state residents had “relied on others to do their job” — a pointed reference to federal prosecutors in New York who handled the original criminal case against Epstein before his 2019 death in custody.
It’s the latest flashpoint in a broader, ongoing fight over how much of the federal government’s Epstein-related material should be made public — a dispute that has repeatedly put pressure on the Trump administration and its handling of the files.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, ABC News, UPI, New Mexico Department of Justice press release (Aug. 5–6, 2026). Verify current developments before publishing, as this is a fast-moving legal story.