David Howell

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state could pursue billions in civil damages after revelations that DEA agents allowed fentanyl shipments to reach communities to build larger drug cases. The state's attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into whether federal officials violated state law by exposing residents to the synthetic opioid.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the state may pursue civil damages after revelations that DEA agents allowed fentanyl shipments into communities to build larger drug cases. The state's attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into whether federal officials violated state law by exposing residents to the synthetic opioid. Overdoses have surged in New Mexico despite declining fentanyl deaths in other states.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced a criminal investigation into the DEA over allegations that agents allowed fentanyl shipments to reach New Mexico communities while pursuing larger investigations. The inquiry follows reports that DEA agents monitored but did not seize fentanyl between 2023 and 2025, with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham criticizing the agency for enabling drug distribution that led to deaths.

New Mexico's attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for allegedly allowing fentanyl shipments to reach Albuquerque streets, following whistleblower allegations that agents monitored but did not seize the drugs to build larger cases between 2023 and 2025. The probe examines whether DEA actions violated state law and contributed to fatal overdoses during a severe fentanyl crisis.

New Mexico's attorney general launched a criminal investigation into DEA agents for allegedly allowing fentanyl shipments to reach Albuquerque streets. The inquiry follows reports that DEA agents monitored but did not seize fentanyl to build larger cases, potentially violating public safety rules. Whistleblower David Howell and others claimed the strategy endangered lives during a deadly drug epidemic.

New Mexico's attorney general has launched a criminal investigation into the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for potentially violating state law by allowing fentanyl shipments to reach Albuquerque streets. The probe follows reports that DEA agents monitored but did not seize fentanyl pills between 2023 and 2025 to build larger cases, a strategy criticized as endangering public safety. The DEA has requested an independent review by the Justice Department's watchdog.

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.

The DEA allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico streets between 2023 and 2025 despite monitoring shipments, according to agents and records. The strategy, criticized as a public safety risk, involved letting pills reach communities to build larger criminal cases, with a DEA agent alleging it contributed to deaths.

A reporter uncovered that the DEA allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico streets to build federal prosecutions, based on whistleblower accounts and internal records. The tactic, criticized for its risks due to fentanyl's lethality, was defended by federal officials despite concerns about public safety.

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.