Key facts
- The DEA permitted hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to be distributed in New Mexico.
- This tactic was reportedly used to build federal prosecutions.
- Whistleblower David Howell claims the DEA gambled with public safety.
An Associated Press investigation revealed the DEA permitted hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to be distributed in New Mexico to build federal prosecutions. Whistleblower David Howell claims the agency gambled with public safety, a tactic deemed problematic due to fentanyl's potency.
The investigation raises critical questions about the balance between law enforcement tactics aimed at dismantling drug cartels and the immediate risks posed to public safety by the proliferation of highly lethal substances like fentanyl.
An Associated Press investigation, co-written by reporters Jim Mustian and Joshua Goodman, has revealed that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to be distributed in New Mexico. This controversial tactic was reportedly employed to gather intelligence for larger federal prosecutions.
David Howell, a 19-year veteran of the DEA, came forward as a whistleblower, filing a complaint that alleged the agency gambled with public safety by permitting the dangerous synthetic opioid to reach communities. Howell's complaint, supported by internal DEA records and interviews, highlighted an incident where agents monitored an estimated 74,000 fentanyl pills being delivered to an Albuquerque mobile home park but did not seize them.
Fentanyl's extreme potency, with just milligrams capable of being lethal, makes this practice particularly concerning. The DEA has defended its actions, with former U.S. attorney Alex Uballez stating that allowing drugs to 'walk' is sometimes necessary to catch larger dealers and ultimately saves more lives. DEA spokesperson Amanda Wozniak asserted that claims of the agency knowingly permitting fentanyl to reach communities are false and misrepresent the facts, adding that the decisions were lawful and consistent with Department guidance.
The investigation also revealed that the Department of Justice rewrote its non-public rules concerning fentanyl seizure discretion around the same time Howell's concerns were being raised, potentially affording law enforcement more leeway in such decisions.
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