Epstein’s Zorro Ranch and Juarez Femicides: A Disturbing Coincidence Ignites Speculation
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO. Ciudad Juarez has been grappling with an open wound for over three decades. Hundreds of families continue to search for daughters, sisters, and mothers who disappeared or were brutally murdered, with little explanation or accountability. According to testimonials from advocacy groups cited by Azteca Noticias, from 2000 to 2025, Chihuahua state has seen 1,500 disappearances and over 800 femicides, with the border city consistently ranking among the highest nationally for violence against women.
The issue has resurfaced on social media following the dissemination of the so-called ‘Epstein files,’ a trove of FBI documents detailing the activities of American businessman Jeffrey Epstein, accused of operating a child sex trafficking network. These revelations have led to comparisons between Epstein’s New Mexico ranch and its proximity to Ciudad Juarez, fueling intense speculation.
Voices That Have Not Been Heard
For families like that of José Luis Castillo Carreón, father of Esmeralda, the tragedy has become an unending wait. “I am the father of Esmeralda Castillo Rincón, who disappeared on May 19, 2009,” he recounts. His daughter is just one of approximately 1,500 young women who have disappeared or been murdered in the region. José Luis Castillo Carreón (Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua; 1960) is a Mexican activist and human rights defender who, since his daughter Esmeralda’s disappearance in 2009, has dedicated himself to the fight for disappeared women and victims of violence in his city and throughout Mexico.
In 2018, during a visit to Ciudad Juarez, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador promised justice. “There will be justice, and I also tell you, there will be no corruption and no impunity. Things will change,” he declared before dozens of searching parents. “I am with you from the heart.” José Luis was present that day. He took the stage and asked the president to investigate his daughter’s case. Years later, he feels nothing has changed. “Andrés said this would change. A lie, a lie: the same old garbage. And with the president we have now, it’s heading for the same thing. We believe that organized crime and the authorities are colluding to disappear young women and men,” he states with frustration.
Other testimonies echo the same pain. “I am looking for my daughter, Griselda Murúa López. She disappeared on April 13, 2009. We would like to have an authority that keeps its word,” said searching mother Consuelo López. “I am the mother of María Guadalupe Pérez Montes, a victim of femicide. They only gave me her head back,” recounts Susan Montes, another mother, to Azteca Noticias cameras.
What Do Current Figures Say?
Civil organizations and local authorities agree that Ciudad Juarez faces a prolonged crisis. From 2005 to 2025, it has consistently ranked among the highest in femicides, disappearances, domestic violence, sexual violence, and adolescent pregnancy. For families, the problem is not only the lack of punishment for the perpetrators but also the absence of protection for women who are still alive. “It is a very deep and heartbreaking pain… it happened to me and it continues to happen. I want to tell Claudia Sheinbaum to see what is happening here. We need security so that these things don’t continue to happen to our daughters, to our nieces, to all women,” adds Susan Montes.
The Resurgence of the Issue Due to the ‘Epstein Files’
In recent days, the case of the women of Juarez has once again gained prominence following the disclosure of the so-called ‘Epstein files.’ These are more than 6 million documents, images, and videos collected by the FBI concerning the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman accused of child sexual exploitation.
The files revealed that in 1993, Jeffrey Epstein acquired a property in New Mexico called Zorro Ranch. Coincidentally, in that same year, the first femicides in Ciudad Juarez began to be recorded, according to the investigation ‘Geography of Violence in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,’ by Cervera Gómez, L., and Monárrez Fragoso, J. (2013). The distance between the two locations is also relatively close:
- 381 kilometers (237 miles) in a straight line from Ciudad Juarez
- 520 to 528 kilometers (323 to 328 miles) by road, meaning a 5 to 6-hour journey
Despite the coinciding dates and locations, there is currently no official investigation, judicial document, or verifiable testimony to prove that Epstein’s ranch is related to the disappearances or femicides in Juarez.
What is Known for Certain
Beyond the theories circulating on social media, there are proven facts:
- Femicides in Ciudad Juarez began to be documented in the early 1990s.
- Thousands of cases remain unresolved.
- Families continue to denounce negligence, lack of investigation, and re-victimization.
A Debt That Continues to Grow
More than 30 years after the first cases, the demand remains the same: truth, justice, and guarantees of non-repetition. Official promises have changed from government to government, but for those who lost a daughter, time stopped the day she disappeared. “Administrations come, administrations go, and they do nothing to find the people who took our daughters. We feel like we are talking to a wall,” summarizes José Luis.
As long as there are no solid investigations, punishment for those responsible, and real protection for women, Ciudad Juarez will continue to be a painful symbol of impunity in Mexico.
Source: Investigative journalism, Azteca Noticias report, and public data related to the Epstein case documents.
