Zorro Ranch (New Mexico)

Zorro Ranch is Jeffrey Epstein's approximately 7,500-acre property located in Stanley, New Mexico, approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe in Santa Fe County. Epstein acquired the ranch in 1993 and developed it into a sprawling desert compound that served as one of four primary properties in his transcontinental sex trafficking operation. The remote location, substantial acreage, and isolation from populated areas made the ranch a strategic site where Epstein could transport victims with minimal oversight. The property was valued at approximately $17.2 million according to Maria Farmer's November 2019 civil complaint, and the Ghislaine Maxwell federal indictment identifies it as one of the locations where minor victims were groomed and sexually abused. The address is listed as 49 Zorro Ranch Road, Stanley, New Mexico 87056 in multiple court documents.

Property Description and History#

Zorro Ranch encompasses thousands of acres of high desert terrain in Santa Fe County. Property records from 2006 list "Jeffery Epstien" [sic] as owner at 49 Zorro Ranch Rd, Stanley, NM 87056-9743, with the property assessed at $7,577.00 for livestock purposes. The ranch featured a main residence described as a Mediterranean-style compound with a U-shaped two-story main house with central courtyard, attached outbuildings forming an enclosed compound, a gated entrance with long paved drive, paved parking forecourt, circular turnaround, formal planted beds, and multiple mature trees, according to a photograph included in Maxwell's indictment.

The property held both fee simple land and leased parcels from federal and state agencies. A December 28, 2005 grazing license between the Zorro Trust and Eddy L. Burns details the ranch's extensive land holdings, including approximately 6,640 acres of fee simple property, 1,158.97 acres held under New Mexico State Land Office leases (GR2122 and GR2088), and 320 acres held under Bureau of Land Management lease (Allotment 00830 Puertacito Salado). The license permitted grazing of up to 50 head of cattle distributed across different parcels.

Epstein held the property through the Zorro Trust, with himself as trustee. A 1994 notarized document shows Ghislaine Maxwell witnessing Epstein's signature as trustee of the Zorro Trust, establishing her involvement with the property from at least the mid-1990s.

Water Rights and Infrastructure

The ranch maintained an extensive water infrastructure critical to operations in the arid New Mexico climate. A 2014 water supply report by Balleau Groundwater, Inc. to Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn details the ranch's water permit holdings and well system:

• Permit E-7871 (Dakota well): Authorized diversion of up to 68 acre-feet per year (AFY) for irrigation, domestic, and ranch uses, with three authorized wells including the original Dakota well (1,700 feet deep), Well E-7871-S-2 (relocated and renamed Ranch Well K), and Well K (765 feet deep, completed in Mancos formation with 25 AFY tested capacity)
• Permit E-6478: Authorized diversion of 15.5 AFY for irrigation and domestic use, with three operational wells (Well 4, Well 6, and Well B) completed in Mancos shale and alluvium formations

The ranch had "proven" beneficial use of 33.5 AFY under the permits, exceeding the typical 25 AFY usage for ranch operations. The report notes the ranch used water "mostly for irrigation and cooling purposes, and also for domestic and stock water." A stuck pump in the Dakota well in 2014 created infrastructure challenges, prompting evaluation of replacement options and potential permit transfers.

Water rights in the Estancia Basin were valued at approximately $5,000 per acre-foot in 2014, making the ranch's yet-to-be-proven 50 AFY potentially worth $250,000. The consultant concluded that while additional well development was possible, "the Ranch has more than adequate wellfield capacity and water rights for the current operation."

Documented Visitors#

Evidence of visitors to Zorro Ranch comes primarily from flight logs, victim testimony, and emails documenting Epstein's travel to Santa Fe and New Mexico. The isolation of the property and lack of commercial air service meant most visitors arrived via Epstein's private aircraft at Santa Fe Airport (SAF), approximately 40 miles north of the ranch.

Flight Logs

Flight logs document multiple trips to Santa Fe Airport (SAF) between 2001-2002, with passengers including Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Virginia Roberts, Jean Luc Brunel, and Marvin Minsky. These logs establish a pattern of transporting victims and associates to the ranch.

Email Documentation of Visits

Epstein's emails to his sex offender registration officer in Florida, filed as Exhibit B in his 2019 federal case, document extended visits to New Mexico:

• July 25, 2012: "I WILL BE STAYING IN SANTA FE, FOR APPROX THREE WEEKS STARTING NEXT MONDAY THE 30TH"
• July 30, 2012: "I arrived today in new mexico will be in and out of the state for the next month"
• September 14, 2012: "out of an abundance of caution, i write to tell you that i arrived in new mexico. and will leave on tues the 18th"
• February 23, 2013: "i will be in new mexico, 23-25"
• April 25, 2013: "i will be in new mexico for four days"
• December 18, 2013: "please be advised that I will be in new mexico for the week of 20-28"
• July 31, 2015: "I will be on my ranch for the month of August"

These notifications establish Epstein spent extended periods at the ranch throughout the 2010s, with some visits lasting weeks or an entire month. The consistent pattern suggests the ranch served as a regular retreat location where Epstein could avoid Florida's sex offender registration requirements by maintaining compliance through remote notification.

Deepak Chopra

Celebrity wellness advocate Deepak Chopra maintained extensive correspondence with Epstein from 2013-2019, though no evidence in the archive establishes he visited Zorro Ranch. Their relationship centered on consciousness research and Chopra regularly visited Epstein's Manhattan townhouse and Palm Beach estate, but available documentation does not place Chopra in New Mexico.

Staff and Operations#

The ranch required permanent staff to maintain the property, manage livestock operations, coordinate utilities and infrastructure, and prepare for Epstein's visits. Email correspondence reveals the operational structure.

Ranch Management

Brice Gordon served as ranch manager and property superintendent, reporting directly to Epstein and coordinating with Richard Kahn on administrative matters. Gordon's extensive correspondence documents his role:

• April 28, 2015 email discussing furniture selection ("velvet or chinil") for the ranch
• July 17, 2018 exchange regarding road construction contractors: "Mike Brown from Mountain States informed me late yesterday afternoon After a meeting with Management, they can no longer commit"
• July 6, 2016 email from Richard Kahn regarding "Brice erratic response to two questions i asked: a) login info for nest cameras b) why vendor invoices that have materials do not include backup"
• August 2, 2015 exchange about paying contractors who "really stepped up to plate"
• May 10, 2013 discussion about office curtain materials and labor breakdown
• February 9, 2017 coordination about engineer Duane visiting Little St. James Island and then the ranch

Gordon coordinated infrastructure improvements, contractor relationships, security systems (including Nest cameras), and day-to-day operations. His reporting relationship to Richard Kahn established the New York-based administrative oversight structure that managed the ranch remotely.

Utilities and Maintenance

Email records show staff managed complex utility and telecommunications infrastructure:

• June 10, 2009 memo regarding "Lightning strike to wireless link from Main House to Ranch Central and Managers Cottage" with attached upgrade proposal
• December 1, 2010 notification about waste management contract modification reducing inactive fee from $291.50 to $100.00 monthly
• June 12, 2009 urgent message that "Wireless Radio's have failed totally, therefore we have no internet at the ranch office and no cellular extenders at ranch central or the main house"
• August 24, 2010 discussion about completing fountain work before Epstein's Thursday arrival

These communications establish the ranch maintained separate structures including a Main House, Ranch Central, Manager's Cottage, and ranch office, all connected by wireless telecommunications infrastructure that frequently required maintenance and upgrades.

Administrative Oversight

Richard Kahn and Darren Indyke provided administrative oversight from New York, reviewing invoices, approving expenditures, and managing consultants. Their involvement in water rights analysis, contractor payments, and infrastructure decisions established direct knowledge of ranch operations.

Additional Staff References

• February 17, 2017 email discusses "possible new Ranch Managers" Matt and Tambra, suggesting staff turnover or expansion
• Staff included household personnel, construction workers, and maintenance crews, with May 2012 correspondence recommending pulling "staff to bare bones" after construction completion

Criminal Activity Documented#

Zorro Ranch served as a site for sexual abuse of minor victims, established through victim testimony and federal prosecution documents.

Minor Victim-2

The June 29, 2020 federal indictment of Ghislaine Maxwell identifies Zorro Ranch as the location where Minor Victim-2 was groomed and abused in approximately 1996:

"MAXWELL interacted with Minor Victim-2 on at least one occasion in or about 1996 at Epstein's residence in New Mexico when Minor Victim-2 was under the age of 18. Minor Victim-2 had flown into New Mexico from out of state at Epstein's invitation for the purpose of being groomed for and/or subjected to acts of sexual abuse. MAXWELL knew that Minor Victim-2 was under the age of 18 at the time. While in New Mexico, MAXWELL and Epstein took Minor Victim-2 to a movie and MAXWELL took Minor Victim-2 shopping. MAXWELL also discussed Minor Victim-2's school, classes, and family with Minor Victim-2. In New Mexico, MAXWELL began her efforts to groom Minor Victim-2 for abuse by Epstein by, among other things, providing an unsolicited massage to Minor Victim-2, during which Minor Victim-2 was topless. MAXWELL also encouraged Minor Victim-2 to massage Epstein."

This overt act (Count One, paragraph 11(c)) established that Maxwell groomed the victim specifically at the New Mexico ranch, using the isolated location to normalize inappropriate conduct before escalating to sexual abuse.

Annie Farmer

Public reporting and court records identify Minor Victim-2 as Annie Farmer, younger sister of Maria Farmer, who worked for Epstein in New York. Maria Farmer's November 2019 civil complaint and March 2020 amended complaint detail the circumstances:

"After Annie's visit to New York, Epstein began to call Annie and Maria's mother to discuss Annie and to falsely claim that he was interested in helping Annie with her goal of going to a great college. He eventually convinced Annie's mother to allow Annie to fly to his ranch in New Mexico at the age of 16, where Maxwell and Epstein assaulted her."

The complaint establishes that Epstein used his wealth and false promises of educational assistance to gain the mother's permission to fly the 16-year-old victim across state lines to the isolated ranch, where both Epstein and Maxwell could abuse her away from witnesses or intervention.

Pattern of Isolation

The ranch's selection as a site for grooming and abuse followed a consistent pattern across Epstein's properties. The Maxwell indictment describes how Maxwell and Epstein would "take minor victims to the movies or shopping" to build trust before normalizing sexual conduct. The New Mexico ranch offered particular advantages:

• Geographic isolation: Located 30 miles from Santa Fe in sparsely populated high desert terrain
• Interstate travel element: Required victims to fly from other states, establishing federal jurisdiction for sex trafficking charges
• Controlled environment: Thousands of acres of private property with limited public access
• Staff discretion: Household employees managed by Epstein loyalists who maintained operational secrecy

Law Enforcement Investigations#

2005-2008 Federal Investigation

The ranch property was known to federal investigators during the 2005-2008 investigation that led to the controversial 2007 Non-Prosecution Agreement. FBI records document Epstein's ownership of the New Mexico property, and the investigation identified victims who had been transported to multiple Epstein properties including New Mexico. However, the NPA limited prosecution to Florida state charges, preventing federal sex trafficking charges that would have encompassed conduct at the ranch.

2019 Federal Charges

The July 2, 2019 federal indictment charging Epstein with sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking specifically mentioned his "homes in Manhattan, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida" but did not explicitly reference the New Mexico ranch in the charging document. However, the investigation encompassed his full trafficking network across all properties.

2020 Maxwell Prosecution

The Ghislaine Maxwell indictment and conviction specifically included charges related to grooming Minor Victim-2 at the ranch in 1996, establishing that criminal activity at Zorro Ranch formed part of Epstein's multi-location sex trafficking conspiracy.

Property Seizure and Estate Proceedings

Following Epstein's death on August 10, 2019, the ranch became part of his estate administered by executors Darren K. Indyke and Richard D. Kahn, with multiple victim lawsuits targeting estate assets. For details on estate administration and litigation, see the Darren Indyke article.

Property Transactions and Financial Records#

Acquisition and Ownership Structure

Epstein acquired the Zorro Ranch property in the early 1990s, with property records from 1990 showing a September 20, 1990 deed recording for the Stanley, New Mexico livestock property. The property was held through the Zorro Trust, a legal entity that provided asset protection and privacy regarding beneficial ownership.

Operational Costs

Available financial records document substantial ongoing expenses:

• Water rights management and well maintenance contracts with Balleau Groundwater, Inc.
• Waste management services costing $291.50 monthly (reduced to $100 in 2010) with additional charges when pickups were required
• Telecommunications infrastructure including wireless radio systems, cellular extenders, and internet connectivity
• Security systems including Nest camera networks requiring login credentials and monitoring
• Construction and renovation projects requiring contractor coordination
• Utility costs for main house, ranch central, manager's cottage, and office buildings
• Livestock operations under grazing license arrangements

Richard Kahn's oversight of vendor invoices and requirement for backup documentation suggests substantial expenditures required New York approval, establishing the ranch as a significant financial obligation within Epstein's property portfolio.

Eugenics and Scientific Research Plans#

A July 2019 New York Times investigation reported that Epstein told scientists and others about his interest in using the ranch to "seed the human race with his DNA" through a form of directed reproduction involving multiple women impregnated with his sperm. The article, based on interviews with more than a dozen people, described Epstein's interest in transhumanism and cryogenics, and his plans to have 20 women impregnated at the ranch simultaneously. The archive contains no direct documentary evidence of these plans. Emails and correspondence focus on property maintenance, water infrastructure, staff management, and operational logistics rather than scientific or reproductive programs.

Epstein did maintain extensive contacts with scientists and academics, documented in correspondence regarding consciousness research, genetics, and other scientific fields. Whether any such activities extended to the ranch beyond discussions remains undocumented in available evidence.

Notable Events and Activities#

Extended Residency Periods

Epstein's 2012-2015 notifications to his Florida sex offender registration officer establish he used the ranch for extended retreats, sometimes staying for weeks or an entire month. These prolonged visits suggest the property served not merely as a waypoint in his travel schedule but as a primary residence where he could conduct business and maintain his lifestyle away from more heavily monitored locations in Florida and New York.

Coordination with Other Properties

Email correspondence shows the ranch was managed as part of an integrated property portfolio. February 2017 communications coordinated engineer visits to both Little St. James Island and Zorro Ranch, with ranch manager Brice Gordon traveling to the Virgin Islands to facilitate property assessments. This operational integration meant staff, contractors, and materials moved between properties based on Epstein's needs and travel schedule.

Flight Operations

The ranch's location approximately 30 miles from Santa Fe Airport required ground transportation coordination for visitors arriving via Epstein's private aircraft. See Flight Logs and Travel Evidence for details on aviation operations to New Mexico.

See Also#

• Ghislaine Maxwell — Managed ranch operations and committed criminal acts at the property
• Little St. James Island — Epstein's U.S. Virgin Islands property that formed part of the same trafficking network
• Palm Beach Estate — Florida property that was the focus of the 2005-2006 investigation
• Manhattan Townhouse — Epstein's New York residence and another site of criminal activity
• 2007 Non-Prosecution Agreement — Federal agreement that protected co-conspirators from prosecution for ranch-related conduct
• Flight Logs and Travel Evidence — Documents travel to Santa Fe and the ranch
• Maria Farmer — Victim whose sister was abused at the ranch