The suit claims USDOJ’s refusal to hand over unredacted records violates the Administrative Procedure Act and interferes with New Mexico’s authority to investigate crimes committed in its own borders. The complaint says federal prosecutors asked New Mexico to stand down its own Zorro Ranch investigation in 2019, promising to share relevant findings once the federal case wrapped up. New Mexico reopened its investigation in February and searched Zorro Ranch in March. In a statement announcing the suit, Torrez said the delay was actively hurting the state’s criminal investigation. A department spokesperson said in July that the agency welcomed New Mexico’s investigation and stood ready to assist, and a DNM official made a similar public pledge in June.