Alex Uballez
Coverage of Alex Uballez in the Nexus archive.
- New Mexico governor calls for criminal probe of DEA allowing fentanyl shipments to hit streets
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for a criminal investigation into the Drug Enforcement Administration after an Associated Press investigation revealed DEA agents allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach the streets between 2023 and 2025 while pursuing larger trafficking cases. The governor alleges the DEA's actions may have violated New Mexico law and endangered public safety, with the agency defending its decisions as lawful and consistent with federal guidelines.
- New Mexico governor calls for criminal probe of DEA allowing fentanyl shipments to hit streets
New Mexico's governor has called for a criminal investigation into the DEA after an Associated Press report revealed federal agents allowed fentanyl shipments to reach the state's streets over two years while pursuing larger drug-trafficking cases. The governor argues the DEA's actions endangered public safety, while the agency claims its investigative decisions were lawful and consistent with department guidelines.
- ‘We poisoned our community’: New Mexico DEA agents watched fentanyl hit the streets and did nothing to stop it reaching people
U.S. DEA agents in New Mexico permitted hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach streets between 2023 and 2025 to build larger drug trafficking cases, despite the opioid's deadly impact. Agents acknowledged the strategy risked public safety, with one stating it 'poisoned the community' and caused deaths.
- Staggering amounts of fentanyl hit streets as the DEA watched and took no action, records show
The DEA permitted hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico streets between 2023 and 2025, according to agents and records, as part of a strategy to build larger criminal cases against traffickers. Critics argue this approach endangered public safety and may have violated Justice Department guidelines, while the DEA defended its decisions as lawful and resource-constrained.