New Mexico investigators have ordered more than two dozen companies -- including major banks, airlines and technology firms -- to preserve records tied to Jeffrey Epstein and several of his longtime associates as state authorities expand a reopened criminal investigation into alleged abuse at Epstein's Zorro Ranch property, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The preservation letters, sent last month by the New Mexico Department of Justice and obtained through a public records request, direct companies to retain potentially relevant records while investigators pursue subpoenas as part of a renewed probe into activities at the ranch.

The requests target records connected not only to Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, but also to his longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, and longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a federal prison sentence for sex trafficking-related crimes.

Investigators also requested preservation of communications involving individuals who corresponded with Epstein, Groff or Maxwell, according to the letters.

The move marks a significant escalation in Attorney General Raúl Torrez's effort to reexamine allegations connected to Zorro Ranch, an 8,000-acre property about 30 miles south of Santa Fe that Epstein owned for decades.

"Reopening the investigation into allegations at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch was undertaken with deep respect for survivors and a commitment to accountability," Torrez said in a statement.

The attorney general said investigators continue to seek testimony from survivors and others who may have information about alleged criminal activity at the property, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"We continue to seek out insight from anyone with information concerning abuse or other illegal activity that occurred at the ranch," Torrez said.

According to the letters, preservation requests were sent to a broad range of institutions that may possess records documenting Epstein's finances, travel, communications and business activities.

Recipients include financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank and American Express, as well as payment processor PayPal.

Investigators also contacted major airlines, travel-booking companies including Expedia, telecommunications providers AT&T and Verizon Communications, and technology platforms -- including Google, WhatsApp and Yahoo.

The letters instruct companies to preserve records that may already have been provided to the FBI or the U.S. Department of Justice during earlier federal investigations involving Epstein and his associates.

State officials indicated additional preservation requests are planned, including for records connected to Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, Epstein's longtime lawyer and accountant, who have served as co-executors of his estate. Both men have previously denied wrongdoing.

The renewed state investigation comes after the release of federal Epstein-related records drew fresh attention to allegations surrounding Zorro Ranch. At least 10 women and girls have alleged they were groomed, abused or assaulted at the property by Epstein and, in some cases, Maxwell.

The release of federal files also revived scrutiny of an unverified claim that two girls died and were secretly buried on the ranch, an allegation that contributed to a law-enforcement search of the property earlier this year.

Since reopening the case in February, Torrez has said he requested complete, unredacted access to federal Epstein investigative files but has not received them. Seeking records directly from private companies provides state investigators with an alternative avenue for gathering evidence.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the federal government "has not refused to assist any jurisdiction investigating potential criminal conduct related to Jeffrey Epstein."

New Mexico's original investigation into Zorro Ranch was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, who were pursuing their own case against Epstein.

The reopened criminal probe is proceeding alongside a separate state legislative "truth commission," which has begun issuing subpoenas to government agencies, financial institutions and law-enforcement entities as part of its own review of the Epstein matter.

New Mexico authorities have emphasized that their jurisdiction is limited to alleged conduct that occurred within the state and does not extend to allegations involving Epstein's other properties -- including residences in New York, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.