New Mexico AG launches criminal probe into DEA over fentanyl claims
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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Friday announced a criminal investigation into allegations that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities and agents pursued larger criminal investigations.
The investigation comes just days after The Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored (but did not seize) large shipments of fentanyl between 2023 and 2025 as they tried to build larger criminal cases.
Torrez said the investigation will examine potential legal remedies, including criminal prosecution, civil litigation and structural reforms, aimed at preventing similar behavior by DEA agents in the future.
“Families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and failed to do,” Torrez said in a statement.
‘ILLEGAL’ VERSION OF FENTANYL IS LINKED TO DEADLY NEW MEXICO INCIDENT THAT MAKES FIRST RESPONDERS SICK
Photo released by DEA shows fentanyl pills seized in New Mexico on April 28, 2025; The agency is under scrutiny over allegations it allowed other shipments to reach the streets. (DEA via AP)
“If the DEA stood by while poison poured into our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure,” he continued. “This is a betrayal of the people he was sworn to protect.”
Torrez said his office “will pursue every legal avenue available to hold responsible parties accountable and ensure this never happens again.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for an investigation earlier this week, saying she was “appalled” by allegations that federal agents knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach communities across the state.
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New Mexico’s attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DEA agents allowed large shipments of fentanyl to reach local communities while pursuing larger criminal cases. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
“Make no mistake: The DEA knew that people would die if these pills reached New Mexico communities, and the agency allowed it to happen anyway,” Grisham said. “The result: Hundreds of New Mexican parents bury their children. Hundreds of New Mexican children grow up without stable parents. Through it all, the federal government stood by.”
Grisham also noted allegations that DEA agents monitored the delivery of 74,000 fentanyl pills to a mobile home park in Albuquerque without intervening.
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DEA Special Agent David Howell, who filed the whistleblower complaint, poses for a portrait in front of the U.S. district courthouse on Friday, June 12, 2026, in Albuquerque, NM. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
“Shockingly, the federal government stood by as they monitored shipments, calculated exact pill counts, and watched these deadly drugs hit the streets,” he said.
Current and former DEA agents, including whistleblower David Howell, told the AP that the agency’s tactics gambled with public safety and may have violated Justice Department rules.
Although the DEA initially denied Howell’s allegations in a statement to the AP, the agency later requested an independent review by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General.
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On April 28, 2025, fentanyl pills were seized by the DEA in New Mexico. New Mexico authorities have since opened a criminal investigation into allegations that the agency made separate shipments of fentanyl. (DEA via AP)
“Should this review identify areas for improvement, DEA will of course implement changes to better its practices,” the Justice Department said in a statement. he said. “We welcome a partnership with Governor Lujan Grisham, as well as New Mexico state and local leaders, to combat the fentanyl scourge and keep their constituents safe.”
The allegations stem from enforcement operations conducted during the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, even as the DEA promoted its “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness campaign warning that even a small amount of fentanyl could be fatal.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the DEA for comment on the investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
