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La investigación sobre el misterioso rancho de Epstein en Nuevo México aumenta la presión sobre el Departamento de Justicia

By CNN

Las investigaciones sobre los presuntos delitos cometidos en el antiguo rancho de Jeffrey Epstein en Nuevo México parecen estar intensificándose, lo que añade aún más presión sobre el Departamento de Justicia y su secretario de Justicia interino, Todd Blanche, por la forma en que manejaron los asuntos relacionados con el fallecido agresor sexual de menores.

El fiscal general de Nuevo México, Raúl Torrez, presentó este miércoles una demanda en la que acusa al Departamento de Justicia de “ocultar información sobre Epstein y sus co-conspiradores” y de obstaculizar la investigación del estado. La demanda se presentó el mismo día en que la denominada “Comisión de la Verdad” del estado, integrada por cuatro miembros de la Cámara de Representantes de Nuevo México, publicó un informe preliminar en el que promete “descubrir la verdad que durante demasiado tiempo muchos no pudieron ver”.

Torrez escribió en la demanda que “Nuevo México es una de las pocas jurisdicciones que aún podría tener la oportunidad de exigir responsabilidades a los asociados de Epstein o, al menos, ofrecer algún grado de justicia a los sobrevivientes”. Agregó que “la inacción federal no solo retrasa la investigación, sino que prolonga y agrava el sufrimiento de los sobrevivientes”.

El informe preliminar de la Comisión de la Verdad, difundido este miércoles, señala que utilizar los archivos del Departamento de Justicia sobre Epstein para “establecer una cronología verificable y completa de los hechos relevantes es una tarea extremadamente tediosa y que requiere mucho tiempo”, y sostiene que “deberían publicarse todos los registros que el Departamento de Justicia mantiene retenidos en virtud de la Ley de Transparencia de los Archivos de Epstein”.

Tanto la demanda de Torrez como el informe de la comisión se suman a las crecientes críticas por el manejo del caso Epstein por parte del Departamento de Justicia, en un momento en que Blanche, principal responsable del organismo para los asuntos relacionados con Epstein, intenta convencer a los senadores y asegurarse la aprobación de su designación como próximo secretario de Justicia del presidente Donald Trump.

La designación de Blanche superó un obstáculo clave este martes al ser aprobada por un comité para pasar a la votación del pleno del Senado. Sin embargo, solo puede perder el apoyo de dos senadores republicanos para lograr la confirmación.

En una declaración enviada a CNN sobre la demanda de Torrez, el Departamento de Justicia afirmó que no está obligado a compartir los archivos sin censura y sostuvo que la privacidad de las víctimas prevalece sobre la solicitud.

“Nuevo México no ha presentado ninguna base legal que justifique una divulgación tan amplia”, dijo un portavoz del Departamento de Justicia.

Cuando CNN pidió a Torrez responder a esa declaración durante una conferencia de prensa este miércoles, el fiscal general dijo: “Pretender que no pueden modificar una orden de protección o fingir que ahora les preocupan los derechos e intereses de los sobrevivientes cuando en el pasado no lo han demostrado, creo que no tiene ninguna credibilidad”.

Las actualizaciones publicadas el mismo día por la oficina del fiscal general y la Comisión de la Verdad también plantean interrogantes sobre posibles conflictos y tensiones entre ambos organismos, que en teoría buscan el mismo objetivo de investigar el rancho Zorro de Epstein. El informe preliminar de la comisión señala que actualmente mantiene negociaciones con el Departamento de Justicia de Nuevo México para alcanzar un acuerdo de intercambio de información y propone que ambas entidades “coordinen y colaboren al realizar entrevistas y declaraciones de víctimas, testigos y otras personas”.

Sin embargo, el informe añade: “Hasta este momento, la Comisión y el Departamento de Justicia de Nuevo México no han podido llegar a un acuerdo”.

En conversaciones recientes con CNN, sobrevivientes de Epstein expresaron confusión sobre las dos investigaciones paralelas y sobre si ambos organismos están trabajando de manera coordinada.

El Congreso obligó al Departamento de Justicia a divulgar millones de documentos relacionados con Epstein tras la aprobación de una ley bipartidista a finales de 2025. Sin embargo, los archivos publicados contienen numerosas ediciones y, en algunos casos, errores en el proceso de edición que revelaron información de víctimas, lo que provocó nuevas críticas de legisladores y sobrevivientes. El organismo de supervisión interna del Departamento de Justicia revisa actualmente ese proceso.

En julio, en una dura carta dirigida a Blanche, Torrez acusó al Departamento de Justicia de negar el acceso a los archivos sin censura y argumentó que la falta de cooperación impide al estado hacer justicia para los sobrevivientes.

Entre los documentos relacionados con Epstein divulgados por el Departamento de Justicia este año figura una acusación no verificada contenida en un correo electrónico de 2019 enviado a un conductor de una emisora de radio local, según la cual “en algún lugar de las colinas cercanas al rancho Zorro fueron enterradas dos jóvenes extranjeras por orden de Jeffrey y Madam G”. De acuerdo con la demanda presentada este miércoles, los archivos divulgados por el Departamento de Justicia incluyen “más de 13.000 referencias al rancho Zorro y 5.000 referencias a Nuevo México como lugares donde las víctimas fueron objeto de trata, captación y agresiones”.

El informe preliminar de la Comisión de la Verdad no extrae conclusiones ni formula recomendaciones de investigación y enfatiza que el trabajo del panel continúa. La mayor parte de sus 119 páginas se basa en archivos de Epstein ya publicados por el Departamento de Justicia. La comisión indicó que sigue recibiendo activamente información y pistas de sobrevivientes, testigos y otros miembros del público, y que podría intentar obtener testimonios bajo juramento de determinados testigos.

El informe también identifica varias áreas de interés para la comisión, además de los presuntos abusos cometidos por Epstein contra niñas y mujeres en el rancho Zorro. Entre ellas figuran “el interés de Epstein en la eugenesia y el transhumanismo, así como informes de que facilitó embarazos forzados y procedimientos médicos sin consentimiento”, un recordatorio de que el rancho Zorro ha sido objeto de teorías conspirativas y especulaciones.

Por ejemplo, el informe hace referencia a una supuesta pista que recibió el FBI en 2019 en la que se afirmaba que había “dos cadáveres” enterrados en el rancho. “Esa información, según el testimonio del exfiscal general Héctor Balderas, revela que esa pista nunca fue entregada a su oficina cuando el FBI la recibió”, señala el informe. “Se desconoce la veracidad de esa afirmación y también se desconoce su origen”.

Hasta la fecha, la comisión ha emitido citaciones contra 20 instituciones u organismos. Según el informe publicado este miércoles, la mitad ha cumplido plenamente con los requerimientos, lo que ha permitido reunir más de 100.000 registros.

Algunos sobrevivientes de Epstein, entre ellos Chauntae Davies y la fallecida Virginia Giuffre, han dicho que el rancho Zorro fue uno de los lugares donde sufrieron agresiones sexuales. Otra sobreviviente, Rachel Benavidez, habló este miércoles durante la audiencia de la Comisión de la Verdad y afirmó que las víctimas de Epstein están cansadas de esperar que alguien rinda cuentas.

En febrero, Torrez reabrió la investigación penal estatal sobre la propiedad, la cual, según dijo, había sido cerrada en 2019 a petición de los fiscales federales.

Ese mismo mes, la Legislatura estatal aprobó una medida para crear la Comisión de la Verdad con el fin de investigar también el rancho Zorro. Desde entonces, la comisión ha celebrado varias reuniones públicas y ha emitido múltiples citaciones, incluidas algunas dirigidas a varias fiscalías federales, así como a las oficinas de Torrez y de la gobernadora Michelle Lujan Grisham para solicitar información.

Este miércoles, la comisión anunció nuevas citaciones, entre ellas una dirigida al spa Ten Thousand Waves, en Santa Fe, que aparece mencionado en los archivos de Epstein.

Esta historia fue actualizada con información adicional.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The epic hiking trail that explores one of Europe’s last great wildernesses

By CNN
Vusanje, Montenegro (CNN) — There are no obvious checkpoints or border crossings to disrupt the beauty of the Peaks of the Balkans trail, and yet it is not uncommon to start a long day of physical exertion with a hearty breakfast in one country, then refuel with a much-appreciated home-cooked dinner in another.The 120-mile loop meanders in and out of Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo — sometimes at several points during a single day’s hiking — over a range known as the Accursed Mountains.While that name may have initially dissuaded all but serious adventurers — mostly from northern Europe — the ever-changing trail is now starting to pull in visitors from all over the world to explore its towering limestone peaks, glacial lakes, rolling wildflower meadows and steamy cloud forests. They offer a peace and quiet that is rarely accessible on the continent’s southern reaches.The mountains actually take their name from their seasonally inhospitable surroundings. It’s equally applicable for the Cold War-era isolation that once rendered stretches of them off-limits.Today, they’re home to what has arguably become known as Europe’s last great wilderness — a landscape that has elevated the Peaks of the Balkans close to the top of the list of the world’s greatest transnational hiking trails.Technical climbing skills are not necessary, but this is no stroll in the park. The rugged allure of these mountains demands a sturdy pair of boots, a carefully filled backpack and a good level of fitness.Ascents are steep and the full trail has a cumulative altitude gain of nearly 35,000 feet, equivalent to well over the height of Everest. Some pre-trip training is advisable, as is a pair of walking poles.That quickly becomes apparent in the heat of a summer’s day when the upward sections can seem to stretch endlessly, becoming a slow and sweaty slog. The downs are no picnic either, requiring careful footing and steady balance.Danger zoneThe rewards are worth it though, with the sheer effort matched by the magnificent views at every summit — a chance to catch your breath and marvel at the awesome scale of the natural surroundings in glorious silence.Best of all is the rest, lunch and an icy swim stop at Montenegro’s magnificent Lake Hrid, located well over a mile above sea level, an added bonus. Cloudless blue skies, ancient green woodland and clear blue water you can dive into all combine to create a screensaver-worthy landscape.Many stretches of the Peaks of the Balkans trail — which can be completed in 10 days or broken down into smaller sections — follow traditional trade routes which were sealed off by geopolitics for much of the 20th century.The region was a heavily guarded danger zone during the Cold War, something that remains much in evidence in Albania, where the landscape is scattered with disused concrete bunkers built under the country’s former communist leader, Enver Hoxha. For more than four decades, Albanians were prevented from leaving due to the dictator’s infamously isolationist policies which led to the country being nicknamed the “North Korea of Europe.”Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro were heavily impacted by the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the breakup of Yugoslavia and the subsequent wars of the 1990s and early 21st century. There are few reminders along the way, besides the disused bunkers and the odd ex-military vehicle, which is perhaps just as well; many feel the topics of government, politics and nationalism are best kept out of these peaceful parts.Indeed, the hiking route was originally nicknamed the “peace trail” when it launched in 2006 as part of efforts to change global perceptions of the Balkans.“Most of the world knows about this region because of the conflict and the wars,” says Dušan Dragosavljević, a trail guide whose precise knowledge of the landscape enables him to point where one section of dense forest invisibly crosses into a neighboring country. “So, I think the Peaks of the Balkans trail is a really good way of changing that picture and the whole narrative.”A different worldDepending on one’s budget, engaging a professional guide like Dragosavljević — who leads trips for Serbian-based firm A.C.E. Adventure — can be a wise investment, not only for his knowledge of the poorly signposted route, but for the wealth of his insight into the region.He first walked the trail end to end in 2017. In the early days, he says, it was popular only with mountain guides, nature lovers and serious hikers. It began to attract a lot more widespread attention after Covid restrictions began to subside, but in many ways it’s still an undiscovered corner of Europe.“There is a lot of new territory to be explored, especially in Albania and Kosovo,” Dragosavljević says. “The Balkans has a lot to offer, not just in terms of nature and beauty, but in terms of hospitality, in terms of culture.“I’m not sure if people know, for example, that whenever you’re in the Balkans without any kind of accommodation or you’re hungry without food, people will help you out — Balkan people are very hospitable.”He says the trail has transformed the lives of many in the region. Farmers who once eked out a living by tending crops and livestock on its harsh terrain are now augmenting their pastoral incomes through tourism.Adis Balić — who runs the Grlja restaurant and guest house in Vusanje, a Montenegrin village close to the Albanian border — is among them.“Everything about our life here has changed since the start of the trail,” he says, sipping a thick Turkish coffee while a stray puppy pesters his customers at nearby picnic benches.Balić, who also runs a second establishment in the nearby town of Gusinje, says families like his were in a “pretty weak” economic situation before the trail officially opened, when trekkers were a rare sight.“During the day you would have maybe two or three trekkers with backpacks and most of the people from the area would look at them strangely, like ‘what are they doing?’ It was a completely different picture back then.”His restaurant and guesthouse, which opened seven years ago, is named after the dramatic waterfall that mesmerizes a crowd of locals and tourists a few steps away. It offers beds for 15 across four rooms, though most visitors who pass through sleep under canvas.“When we started the business, we had about 400 campers a year and this season we have more than 3,400 campers,” he says. “It’s been really good.”The trail still remains largely untroubled by mass tourism. Peak season runs from June to September. May and October are also options, but come with the possibility of snow and less choice when it comes to eating and sleeping.Grlja offers a menu of traditional food, mostly made from ingredients grown and produced by Balić’s family. There is an abundance of meat dishes, grilled to perfection and served with salads, homemade cheeses and dips, including ajvar, a rich blend of slow-roasted peppers and eggplant that is a staple on dining tables along the trail.“My father picks the vegetables in the morning and by the evening we have them on the table,” he says.Back in the early days, most visitors to the trail hailed from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Today it appeals not only to trekkers, but also expatriate Montenegrins who return here from the United States, Western Europe and elsewhere for the summer months.“There are no nationalities that don’t come,” says Balić. “You have Australians, New Zealanders… people are basically coming from all over the world.“What fascinates them the most are the mountains — the views and how they’ve been preserved. What they’re most grateful for are the traditional meals and hospitality.”Balić personally oversees the small kitchen tucked away beneath his guest rooms, ensuring everything served is of a high standard.“I don’t see the visitors as tourists who will just come here once and never come again,” he says. “My message is: you’re not just cash, you’re long-term clients, and I’ll make sure everyone who comes here is fed well and leaves with a good feeling.”Such hospitality is evident throughout the trail, where mountain people have opened a window onto their long-held traditional lifestyles as their farm animals meander around them.Chalkboards offering homemade treats like baklava, raspberry cake and thick yogurt blended with honey produced by their bees — alongside cold cans of soda — are a welcome sight for weary hikers, as is the relative privacy offered by the rudimentary bathroom facilities.‘It’s perfect’In Albania, Kujtim Gocaj runs a cozy guesthouse named after himself in the remote village of Cerem. The 63-year-old police officer has been running the business as a side venture for 14 years but hopes it will become his main focus when he retires from the force in two years.“I started it to have a future,” he says, speaking through his English-speaking son-in-law while serving food and clearing tables.Initially, he operated from one building, before adding a new pine structure with plenty of scenic outside seating for diners in 2019. Today the property caters to up to 36 people in a mixture of dormitories and en suite private rooms.“I grew this from a small thing to how it is now,” he says. “It was hard at first but it’s much better now. People love this place and everyone in the area knows it.”The benefits for Gocaj and his family are not just financial. “I can’t even explain how good it is,” he says. “We learn so much from all the people who come here from all over the world — it’s like an education. It’s perfect.”With its highly unpredictable weather, the Accursed Mountains can still live up to their name. Ferocious storms which can batter the trail and last for hours, scuppering walking schedules and leaving visitors with little option but to shelter in basic trail accommodation, often converted from shepherd huts.Outside the tourist season, it can be much worse.“Winter is catastrophic,” says Balić. “It’s quite usual here to have one meter of snowfall and then everything is closed.”He believes the region could extend its appeal beyond the hiking season with some investment in winter sports. “You just need one ski lift, and people would come with skis and that would be good.”It is a far-off prospect for now but perhaps not impossible given how much the region has begun to draw in visitors from farther afield.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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