Federal Justice Department blocks New Mexico from accessing unredacted Epstein files
The US Department of Justice has refused a request from New Mexico for unredacted federal records related to Jeffrey Epstein, citing federal law and victim privacy protections, while state officials warn that the delay is degrading evidence and making witnesses unreachable.
The United States Department of Justice has formally declined a request from the state of New Mexico for unredacted files pertaining to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking a significant escalation in the dispute over the handling of sensitive federal records. In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday, the department argued that releasing millions of unredacted documents would violate existing federal law, court orders, and privacy protections for victims and witnesses.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, had accused the administration of President Donald Trump of obstructing the state’s criminal investigation into alleged abuse at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch. In a public letter released last week, Torrez detailed that his office has spent more than five months seeking the unredacted federal records necessary to proceed with its probe, but has been unable to obtain all the files requested.
The US Justice Department pushed back against the state’s demands, asserting that Torrez’s request fell outside its authority. “We will continue to follow federal law and the court orders that are in place,” the department stated. “To capitulate to their demands would be to break federal law. Is that what the [New Mexico attorney general] is suggesting?” The department characterised the refusal as a “deliberate choice not to cooperate” by the state, warning that compliance would constitute a breach of legal obligations.
New Mexico reopened its investigation into the sprawling Zorro Ranch property south of Santa Fe in February 2026, following the release of millions of records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed in November 2025. The act mandated the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records with limited redactions to protect victims. However, documents released in January included heavy redactions, and the state has been unable to secure the unredacted versions it deems critical for its case regarding allegations of trafficking and abuse.
Torrez warned that the lack of cooperation is having tangible consequences for the integrity of the investigation. He stated that every day the US Justice Department withholds these records, the case becomes more difficult to build, as witnesses relocate and become unreachable, memories fade, and physical evidence degrades or is lost. The state is examining allegations that women and girls were trafficked to the ranch, a property Epstein owned from 1993 until his death in 2019.
The dispute occurs amid broader scrutiny of the Trump administration’s compliance with transparency legislation. Critics argue the administration has fallen short of its commitment to releasing records, with some speculating that officials may be shielding powerful figures featured in the files. President Trump, who was part of Epstein’s social circle, has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. The current standoff highlights the tension between federal legal constraints and state-level efforts to pursue criminal accountability for alleged abuses at the Zorro Ranch.
