Key facts
- House Republicans are investigating a DEA tactic that allowed large quantities of fentanyl to be trafficked.
- The tactic, known as allowing drugs to 'walk,' prioritizes building larger drug cases over immediate seizures.
- Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, requested records from Attorney General Todd Blanche.
- New Mexico's Attorney General Raúl Torrez has sued the Justice Department seeking similar records.
- The DEA reportedly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to go unseized in New Mexico.
- A policy change in 2024 gave law enforcement more discretion on seizing fentanyl shipments.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have initiated an investigation into a controversial tactic employed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that allowed significant quantities of fentanyl to reach American streets. Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting records related to the DEA's strategy of monitoring, rather than seizing, major fentanyl shipments, a practice that has drawn criticism from officials in New Mexico, the state most affected by the fentanyl crisis.
This congressional inquiry mirrors concerns previously raised by New Mexico officials, including Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who recently filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department seeking similar records. Comer stated in his letter that a policy directing agents not to intercept substantial fentanyl shipments is "unconscionable" and has likely led to harm and loss of life. The investigation comes after an Associated Press report revealed that DEA agents repeatedly monitored major fentanyl shipments in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025, allowing them to proceed as part of efforts to build larger criminal cases.
The DEA's strategy, often referred to as allowing drugs to "walk," continued even during the Biden administration, despite the White House designating fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction" and the DEA's own "One Pill Can Kill" public awareness campaign. Comer specifically requested records pertaining only to the Biden administration, citing a perceived relaxation of risk mitigation protocols that were reportedly in place during President Donald Trump's term. An earlier policy adopted in 2017 mandated agents to "seize or otherwise prevent the distribution" of fentanyl, but these rules were rewritten in 2024 to grant law enforcement more discretion.
During one instance in New Mexico, DEA agents reportedly observed drug couriers entering hotels with backpacks believed to contain up to 100,000 fentanyl pills, while larger quantities went unseized. A former DEA supervisor, now one of three whistleblowers, suggested the entire network could have been dismantled six months earlier. In response to the growing scrutiny, the Justice Department's internal watchdog has announced a nationwide review of government policies and wiretap investigations to ascertain if this tactic has been used elsewhere. DEA Administrator Terry Cole stated that the agency remains focused on its adversaries and welcomed the inspector general's review.