Aug. 5 (UPI) — New Mexico on Wednesday sued the U.S. Justice Department seeking access to unredacted files related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

State Attorney General Raul Torrez has been requesting the files in an attempt to investigate Epstein’s alleged crimes at Zorro Ranch, a property the late financier owned in Santa Fe County.

In its lawsuit, New Mexico accused the DOJ of refusing to share records that could help investigators corroborate evidence and identify witnesses.

“New Mexico has a duty to protect survivors and investigate crimes committed in our state so that perpetrators can be held accountable,” Torrez said in a statement.

“We asked the Department of Justice to cooperate by providing access to records that may be critical to identifying victims, witnesses, and additional criminal conduct at Zorro Ranch,” Torrez added. “Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve.”

New Mexico’s attorney general has been investigating alleged crimes at the 10,000-acre ranch since February.

Torrez had been asking since then for access to the files, giving federal authorities a July 31 deadline for a response.

Epstein bought Zorro Ranch in 1993 and regularly used it over 25 years, building a 27,000-square-foot mansion and a private runway. His estate sold the property in 2023.

New Mexico’s lawsuit alleges that DOJ records “include evidence of grooming, trafficking, sexual abuse and other misconduct tied to the property.”

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges.