The lead investigator of Congress into the Jeffrey Epstein case has raised serious concerns about the actions taken by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice regarding Epstein’s New Mexico ranch. On Tuesday, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, criticized the Justice Department for halting a local investigation into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch during Trump’s presidency in 2019. This sprawling estate in New Mexico was under scrutiny by state authorities when the federal government intervened and terminated the inquiry. Epstein, who was facing federal charges for sex trafficking, was found dead in his jail cell that same year, in what officials described as a suicide.

James Comer, a Republican and Trump ally who is spearheading the congressional probe into Epstein, expressed his dissatisfaction with the federal government’s handling of the case. “The federal government asked New Mexico to stop their investigation back in 2019,” Comer said. “There are so many questions about how the government failed the victims and why Epstein wasn’t prosecuted sooner. This entire situation is baffling.” The Zorro Ranch, situated about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, has been the subject of allegations by individuals claiming to have been abused there.

In a startling development, newly released documents from the Department of Justice related to Epstein suggest that two foreign women died during violent encounters at the ranch and were subsequently buried on the premises. These claims, though met with skepticism, have prompted local law enforcement to revisit the investigation. Searches at the ranch resumed on Monday, but it’s unclear if federal authorities had previously examined the site. The DOJ has not responded to requests for comment, and the FBI has maintained its silence on whether it ever investigated the 7,500-acre property. Some emails in the DOJ files hint at the possibility that the ranch remained unsearched by federal agents.

‘Everyone has conspiracy theories on how Epstein was able to get away with it,’ Comer said. ‘Was it because he had powerful friends? Was it because he was an agent? We don’t know, but we’re gonna find out and I’m glad that they’re on the ground now in New Mexico searching that property.’ New Mexico State Attorney General Raul Torrez announced that state investigators began searching the ranch on Monday. ‘Revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination,’ the state investigators said of the previous federal request. According to Comer, the DOJ’s Southern District of New York office shut down the 2019 local New Mexico probe into the Zorro Ranch.

‘It was the Department of Justice, I believe. And I believe it was because they had– I believe, it perhaps was Southern District of New York because they had taken over the investigation at that point.’ ‘So, again, these are questions that we have. We want to get the answers.’ Epstein ordered the burial of two ‘foreign girls’ near his ranch after they were strangled to death during ‘rough [sexual activity]’, according to an email released by the DOJ earlier this year. The email, sent by a person claiming to have worked for Epstein, also includes links purporting to show the late pedophile engaging in [sexual activity] with underage girls.

The correspondence, first sent to a man named Eddy Aragon on November 21, 2019, before being forwarded to the FBI was titled ‘Confidential: Jeffrey Epstein.’ The apparent sender, whose name has been redacted, claimed to have ‘been there and seen it all, as a former staff at the Zorro.’ The sender alleged the girls were buried on the orders of Epstein and ‘Madam G’, believed to be Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate, at Zorro Ranch. In the email, the person wrote: ‘Edward. This is sensitive, so it will be the first and last email depending on your discretion.’ ‘You can choose to take it or trash it but this comes from a person that has been there and seen it all, as a former staff at the Zorro.’ ‘The material below was taken from Jeffrey Epstein home as my insurance in case of future litigation against Epstein. SORRY NO QUESTIONS.’

The email added: ‘What is damning about Jeffrey Epstein is yet to be written. Did you know somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G? Both died by strangulation during rough, fetish [sexual activity].’ The sender also included links to videos which claimed to show Epstein having [sexual relations] with minors and [sexual relations] with underage girls. The sender then demanded a payment of one Bitcoin in return for the video and information.