A remote desert ranch once owned by financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is drawing renewed focus in New Mexico. Two state legislators are advocating for a “truth commission” to investigate and prevent future sex trafficking activities.

State Representative Andrea Romero, a Democrat from Santa Fe, stated that survivors of Epstein’s crimes have pointed to Zorro Ranch as a site of illicit activities. This expansive estate, featuring a luxurious mansion and private airstrip, is located roughly 35 miles south of Santa Fe. Romero emphasized the need for more information to ensure the state can implement measures to prevent such abuses moving forward.

“The commission’s aim is to uncover what officials knew, how crimes were handled, and how the state can prevent similar occurrences in the future,” Romero explained to a legislative panel on Thursday. “Currently, there is no comprehensive account of what transpired there.”

With a suggested budget of $2.5 million, this inquiry would place New Mexico at the forefront of a global series of investigations into Epstein’s networks, which have already stirred the U.S. Congress and led to King Charles III officially removing Prince Andrew’s title on Thursday.

In 2019, Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail as he awaited trial on charges of sexually abusing and trafficking numerous underage girls.

The case was brought more than a decade after he secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to dispose of nearly identical allegations. Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them.

Epstein purchased the Zorro Ranch in New Mexico in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a 26,700-square-foot (2,480-square-meter) mansion. The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023, with proceeds going to creditors.

While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it was investigating and had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch.

In 2023, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez ordered an investigation into financial businesses utilized by Epstein and their legal obligations, said agency spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez. That resulted in agreements with two banks that dedicates $17 million to the prevention of human trafficking, she said.

On Thursday, Democratic and Republican legislators expressed guarded support for a new probe, amid concern that New Mexico laws allowed Epstein to avoid registering locally as a sex offender long after he was required to register in Florida.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution under an agreement that required him to spend 13 months in jail and register as a sex offender an agreement widely criticized for secretly ending a federal sex abuse investigation involving at least 40 teenage girls.

“I do feel like this is a unique opportunity to help victims,” said Republican Rep. Andrea Reeb, a former district attorney from Clovis. ”I do believe New Mexicans do have a right to know what happened at this ranch. And I didn’t get the impression it was gonna be a big political thing.”

But another Republican legislator demanded, “Why now?” noting tensions related to President Donald Trump and his vow to release documents related to the late sex trafficker.

“Why not a long time ago?” said Rep. Stafani Lord of Sandia Park. “Every time I ride my motorcycle past there (Zorro Ranch), I get sick to my stomach.”

Results are at least two years away. To move forward with a truth commission, approval first is needed from the state House when the Legislature convenes in January to create a bipartisan oversight committee of four legislators, said Democratic state Rep. Marianna Anaya, a cosponsor of the initiative.