Around the Roundhouse

Albuquerque-based radio host Eddy Aragon has spent several years looking into what went on at Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch and has received calls from listeners who he says have provided insight about the workings of the property south of Santa Fe.
In 2019, Aragon received an anonymous email alleging the bodies of two foreign girls were buried near Epstein’s property. “Both died by strangulation during rough, fetish sex,” the anonymous email said. The writer claimed to be a former staff member at the ranch. Aragon forwarded the email to the FBI, and the email is among the millions of documents released in the Epstein files.
Aragon, who hosts “The Rock of Talk” on KIVA 1600 AM, spoke with Santa Fe New Mexican reporter Daniel J. Chacón on the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast to discuss his history with the Epstein case. He talks about how the public’s curiosity spurred his early interest in the case. He also expresses his frustration with the lack of attention Epstein’s wrongdoings received from state officials and the media until the release of the Epstein files.
Aragon says he knows who the sender of the anonymous email is and that he relayed that information to an FBI agent. He also claims to know who many of the people who were employed at the ranch were and their relationships with each other.
Aragon shares his thoughts on the new Epstein “truth commission” that was formed during the state’s recent 30-day legislative session to investigate what went on with the ranch.
“We need to get this stain off of our state of New Mexico,” he said.
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An opportunity to connect with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein prior to the State of the Union address Tuesday had a powerful impact on Andrea Romero, a New Mexico state representative who co-sponsored a resolution to create a so-called “truth commission” to investigate Epstein’s activities at Zorro Ranch in southern Santa Fe County.
The Santa Fe Democrat, who was a guest of U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury at the State of the Union, shared her experience in the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, saying the survivors told her that out of Epstein’s operations in various states, “New Mexico was basically the worst.”
During the episode, Romero speaks with Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón about the formation of the Epstein “truth commission,” its mission, its members and how it plans to operate as it creates its reports over the next year. “This isn’t about politics, it’s about bringing justice to survivors,” Romero said.
Romero also discusses the recently completed legislative session and two pieces of contentious legislation she co-sponsored — the Clear Horizons Act and a bill that would have banned the sale of some “extremely dangerous weapons” in New Mexico. Both bills failed to pass.
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The 2026 30-day legislative session came to a close Thursday with Democrats largely touting it as a success following an overhaul of the state's medical malpractice law, the funding of universal child care and more.
One of the bigger news items to come out of the final full day of the session was an omnibus tax package with 1% raises for state employees. Rep. Derrick Lente and other House Democrats helped get the raises across the finish line after they had been previously removed from the budget in the Senate.
In the latest episode of "Around the Roundhouse," Lente joins Santa Fe New Mexican politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to talk about how it took a creative solution to reinstate the raises for state employees. Lente, who chairs the House Tax committee, also shares his thoughts on the power of the Senate Finance Committee, which had previously stripped the raises.
Chacón also asks Lente about his position on a measure that will go before voters to determine whether state legislators will receive a salary, how he feels about what lawmakers accomplished during the session, and how he decompresses at the end of a session.
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With just over a week left in New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session, a handful of bills have been passed and signed into law but there’s still a lot up in the air for lawmakers. Some of the bills passed so far have had bipartisan support, but others have faced strong opposition by the Republican minority in both chambers.
In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to offer her take on the good, the bad and the ugly of the session so far.
The Magdalena Republican starts with sharing her support for the interstate compacts for doctors and social workers, and the medical malpractice reform bill that is still working its way through the Legislature.
Armstrong also discusses her opposition to the passage of House Bill 9, a bill to ban local governments in New Mexico from contracting with the federal government to detain undocumented immigrants and others with pending civil immigration cases. She later talks about Senate Bill 17, a gun control bill Republicans have called unconstitutional.
Chacón asks Armstrong about Republicans’ hopes of picking up seats in the Legislature in the upcoming election. She discusses what it’s been like being in the minority party, saying “we’re really sick and tired of being pushed around” and that better balance is needed in the Roundhouse.
Armstrong ends the podcast by talking about her House district, which is the largest in the state and very rural. “I probably have more cows and elk than I do people. I kind of like it like that,” she says.
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New Mexico made national headlines last year with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s announcement that it would be the first state in the country to offer child care to all families at no cost. Elizabeth Groginsky, secretary of the state Early Childhood Education and Care Department, was at the governor’s side during the news conference and has been a key figure in the landmark initiative.
In the latest episode of the “Around the Roundhouse” podcast, Groginsky joins Santa Fe New Mexican state politics reporter Daniel J. Chacón to discuss the progress of the program since the September announcement, the national recognition the initiative has received and the challenges ahead.
The governor’s push to remove all income limits to the child care assistance program is one of the most discussed issues during the current 30-day legislative session as lawmakers hash out a budget for the coming fiscal year. Groginsky speaks on her department’s desire for fully funding the program and on concerns regarding child care provider capacity.
To learn more about applying for universal child care and to access a child care finder, visit https://www.nmececd.org/child-care-assistance/.
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