Preface: Too dark, proceed with caution. This was written in collaboration with Gemini.

As of February 13, 2026, the "Baby Ranch" theory has shifted from a fringe conspiracy into a centerpiece of a formal government investigation in New Mexico. While the term sounds like science fiction, recent declassified files and legislative actions have revealed that it was a very real, documented ambition of Jeffrey Epstein’s.

According to the "Epstein Files" released by the DOJ in early February 2026, Epstein described this plan to at least two Nobel Prize-winning scientists and several financial advisors. The location this was supposed to take place, would be Epstein’s estate at Zorro Ranch, a nearly 10,000-acre estate in Stanley, New Mexico. He intended to use the ranch as a base to inseminate multiple women with his sperm simultaneously. He wanted to "improve" the human race by spreading his own genetic code, which he believed was superior. He specifically targeted high-IQ, "elite" women to be the mothers of these children. (The Guardian)

This was quite farfetched until the most shocking development occurred on February 11, 2026, when New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard formally called for a criminal investigation into new claims found in the declassified documents. An encrypted email from a former Zorro Ranch staffer (contained in the DOJ's February 2026 release) alleges that two "foreign girls" died at the ranch during "rough, fetish sex" and were buried in the hills surrounding the property. Commissioner Garcia Richard has urged federal and state authorities to "leave no stone unturned," including potential radar scanning of the hills to locate these alleged burial sites. (NM State Land Office Official Statement)

The New Mexico House of Representatives is currently moving to establish an official "Epstein Truth Commission" (proposed in February 2026 with a $2.5 million budget). The goal is to use subpoena power to uncover exactly what local officials knew. Investigators are looking into why New Mexico laws allowed Epstein to avoid registering as a sex offender at the ranch for years, despite his 2008 conviction in Florida. The commission aims to compel testimony from former ranch employees and local law enforcement who may have seen the "breeding" facilities or the trafficking of young women to the site. (Santa Fe New Mexican) Survivors like Virginia Giuffre and Annie Farmer have testified about being abused at the ranch. 2026 investigative summaries describe the property's unique features that supported the "Baby Ranch" theory. A 26,700-square-foot hilltop house designed for absolute privacy, and a private runway and hangar allowed Epstein to move people in and out without going through public airports. The ranch was equipped with industrial-sized kitchens and laundry facilities, far beyond what is normal for a private home, suggesting it was built to house a large number of people permanently.

In a major news break this afternoon, the Huffines family—specifically tied to Texas businessman and former state senator Don Huffines—has been officially identified as the owners of the former Zorro Ranch. Earlier today (Feb 13th, 2026) Don Huffines’ campaign for Texas Comptroller released an official statement confirming the family's ownership. The property was purchased through a limited liability company, San Rafael Ranch, LLC, in August 2023. The campaign stated that the family bought the ranch at a public auction four years after Epstein's death and that the proceeds went to compensate Epstein’s victims. The statement explicitly noted that the Huffines family had never visited the property prior to the auction and had no prior relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. (The Texas Tribune)

The family recently made headlines in New Mexico for protesting the ranch's tax valuation. They successfully argued for a lower tax assessment, bringing the value down to approximately $13.4 million. Their legal team argued that the "notoriety" and "stigma" of the property (due to Epstein’s crimes) significantly reduced its market value compared to its original $27.5 million listing price. The ranch is no longer called "Zorro Ranch." The new owners have renamed the nearly 10,000-acre estate to Rancho de San Rafael. The timing of this confirmation is tied to two things: Don Huffines is currently the frontrunner in the Republican primary for Texas Comptroller (with the election set for next month). His opponents have begun using the ranch's ownership as political ammunition. (Santa Fe New Mexican)

As of February 13, 2026, the race for Texas Comptroller has transformed from a standard fiscal debate into a high-stakes political drama. The central figure is Don Huffines, a wealthy Dallas businessman and former State Senator, who finds himself leading the primary polls just as his family’s purchase of Jeffrey Epstein’s former ranch is being weaponized by his rivals. According to a University of Houston/Hobby School poll released on February 11, 2026, Huffines is currently the clear favorite to win the Republican nomination. Despite being the frontrunner, Huffines faces a critical challenge: with 29% of voters still undecided and early voting starting next week (February 17), the timing of the "Zorro Ranch" revelation is designed to shake the confidence of conservative voters. (UH Hobby School of Public Affairs)

Opponents, particularly those aligned with Kelly Hancock (who has the endorsement of Governor Greg Abbott), are using the purchase to paint Huffines as "out of touch" or "morally questionable." Opponents are running ads highlighting the $13.4 million tax valuation protest the Huffines family won. The "ammunition" here is the irony: a candidate running to be the state's chief financial officer (Comptroller) used the "notoriety" of a sex trafficker's ranch to lower his own tax bill. Rivals are questioning why the purchase was made through an opaque LLC (San Rafael Ranch, LLC) in 2023, suggesting that Huffines intentionally hid the connection to Epstein's estate until public records requests by the Santa Fe New Mexican forced it into the open today. The Comptroller’s office is supposed to be the "boring" seat of fiscal integrity. The fact that the frontrunner is now tied to the most scandalous piece of real estate in American history has made this the most-watched down-ballot race in the country. The March 3 primary is less than three weeks away. If the "Ranch Stigma" successfully peels away enough undecided voters, Christi Craddick could force Huffines into a May runoff. (WFAA Austin)

Whether or not Huffines was buying the New Mexico ranch to hide Epstein’s secret lab or not, more news has come out about what possibly went down there. According to the February 2026 declassified FBI files and academic reports, his contact with the science field was a systematic effort that began in the late 1980s and reached its peak between 2002 and 2018. He didn't just meet these scientists; he hosted them on his private island, provided offices for them at Harvard, and funded their most ambitious (and sometimes controversial) research. (NPR/OPB)

Between 1987 to 1995, Epstein used his role on the board of the New York Academy of Art and his connection to literary agent John Brockman (who represented Hawking, Pinker, and Dawkins) to gain access to famous authors. During this time, he was primarily a "listener" at elite dinners, building his reputation as a "hedge-funder with a physicist's mind." 1999 to 2008 was his peak of influence at Harvard. He donated over $9 million to the university during this decade. He was given a dedicated office in Harvard Square by Martin Nowak and was even appointed a "Visiting Fellow" in the Psychology Department in 2005, despite having no academic credentials. After his 2008 conviction, Epstein pivoted toward newer fields like Artificial Intelligence and Synthetic Biology. According to the February 2026 declassified DOJ files, he focused on younger, "up-and-coming" researchers (like Corina Tarnita and Joscha Bach) who were less likely to question his past and more desperate for funding. (Department of Justice Release Summary)

Multiple witnesses, including billionaire Richard Branson, confirmed that Epstein would arrive at serious scientific meetings with a "harem" of young, attractive women, essentially using these world-class geniuses as social props to impress his victims. New records show that Epstein didn't just give grants to universities; he made direct wire transfers to the personal accounts of certain researchers (such as those in Romania and California linked to the Tarnita files) for "research feedback" that was rarely documented. Let’s take a closer look at Marvin Minsky, who died in 2016, was the "Founding Father of AI" whose prestige provided the primary intellectual cover Epstein used to infiltrate the scientific elite. More on Minsky later. (DOJ Declassified Records Summary / ResearchGate) ☀️