It’s been newly revealed that the family of former Texas state Sen. Don Huffines acquired Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous Zorro Ranch in New Mexico in 2023, four years after Epstein’s death.
Huffines is currently running for the office of Texas Comptroller.
San Rafael Ranch LLC, a limited liability company linked to the Huffines family, acquired the property at a public auction in 2023 for an undisclosed amount.
Proceeds from the sale benefited Epstein’s victims, the Texas Tribune reported.
The LLC was registered with New Mexico’s secretary of state in July 2023, although its ties to the Huffines family were not made public at the time.
The LLC’s link to the Huffines family was initially reported last week by the Santa Fe New Mexican, which cited public records it obtained through public information requests with the Santa Fe County Clerk.
In an 87-page document protesting the ranch’s property tax assessment, “Mary Catherine Huffines“—Don Huffines’ wife—is signed as a trustee under “client/property owner” on a form dated May 15, 2025.
The property was initially assessed at $21.1 million for the 2023 tax year, but the LLC’s representatives challenged that figure, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican,
Court filings obtained by the publication found that in December 2024, the Santa Fe County assessor reduced the property’s 2023 taxable value to $13.4 million. In its appeal, the LLC contended that the property’s “notoriety,” along with its sale price, supported a lower assessment—and therefore a smaller tax bill.
Records obtained by the Santa Fe New Mexican also show that the property had been renamed San Rafael Ranch in 2024, and that its address is now listed as 49 Rancho San Rafael Road near Stanley, NM.
In a statement to the Texas Tribune on Feb. 13, Huffines’ campaign spokesperson Allen Blakemore said, “Four years after Mr. Epstein’s death, the Huffines family purchased property in New Mexico listed at public auction whose proceeds benefited his victims. Prior to the auction listing, they had never visited the property.”
On Monday, Don Huffines wrote on X, “In 2023, four years after Epstein’s death, San Rafael Ranch had been listed on the open market for years and was scheduled for public auction. At the time of the sale, it was marketed that the proceeds would go to the victims. It has since been confirmed by the estate’s attorneys that proceeds from the sale benefited the victims.”
Investigation into the ranch
New Mexico’s Department of Justice said on Wednesday that it is reviewing an allegation—stemming from documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice—that Epstein directed the bodies of two foreign girls be buried outside his remote ranch in the state.
“Upon reviewing information recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Raúl Torrez has ordered that the criminal investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch be reopened,” Lauren Rodriguez, chief of staff for the New Mexico Department of Justice, tells Realtor.com®.
“Although the State of New Mexico’s prior investigation was closed in 2019 at the request of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”
Rodriguez went on to say, “Special agents and prosecutors at the New Mexico Department of Justice will be seeking immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file and intend to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners as well as the Epstein Truth Commission recently established by the New Mexico Legislature. As with any potential criminal matter, we will follow the facts wherever they lead, carefully evaluate jurisdictional considerations, and take appropriate investigative action, including the collection and preservation of any relevant evidence that remains available. We are moving quickly and deliberately on this issue and will provide updates as appropriate.”
On X, Huffines insisted he would work with authorities.
“We have always maintained an open line of communication with local authorities,” he wrote. “No law enforcement agency has ever approached me to request access, and I have always said unequivocally that any such request would be met with immediate access and full cooperation.”
Huffines also told the podcast “The Dana Show,” “If law enforcement asks, of course, they can come on the property. I’m happy to cooperate.”
Future plans for the ranch
This week, Huffines said that he is turning the ranch into a Christian retreat.
“What the enemy once meant for evil, God can redeem for good,” he wrote on X. “That’s why we renamed the property San Rafael, after the saint associated with physical and spiritual healing, and began plans immediately to remake it as a Christian retreat, reclaiming it for Jesus. Even the new entrance will reflect that mission and will read, ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO COME IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.'”
On former Rep. Matt Gaetz‘s One America News Network show on Tuesday, Huffines elaborated on his plans for the ranch.
“This was obviously a dark place, and we wanted to put light in a dark place,” he said. “It always shines the brightest when you do that. My faith is so strong in Jesus, and it really is, and I’m going to make this—the plan all along is to make this property into a Christian retreat. Matter of fact, it’s under construction today. That’s our goal.”
About Zorro Ranch
Zorro Ranch, which included a 30,000-square-foot mansion on about 7,500 acres, was originally on the market for $27.5 million.
The ranch includes several additional homes, an airstrip with a hangar and helipad, and a tennis court.
It’s located about a half-hour outside of Santa Fe.
The main home is three stories, with an indoor pool, library, and views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There is also a small village on the property where additional homes, including a yurt, log cabin, and guesthouse, as well as a greenhouse, equestrian facility, and private firehouse, are located.
Epstein bought the ranch in 1993, which included nearly 7,600 acres of privately owned land, as well as an additional 423 acres leased from the Federal Bureau of Land Management.
Reuters reports that several civil suits accused Epstein of sexually assaulting girls at Zorro Ranch, but he was never charged in these suits.