Key facts
- DEA agents monitored and did not seize hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025.
- The tactic was used to gather intelligence and build cases against major drug traffickers.
DEA agents reportedly monitored and did not seize hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills destined for New Mexico streets between 2023 and 2025. This tactic, aimed at building larger cases against traffickers, has drawn criticism from agents and experts who believe it endangered public safety and may have violated Justice Department rules.
The revelations raise serious questions about the DEA's operational tactics and their impact on public safety, particularly in communities already struggling with high rates of drug-related deaths. The conflict between agents' accounts and the agency's official statements highlights a significant internal debate over the balance between intelligence gathering and immediate public protection.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach the streets of New Mexico between 2023 and 2025, according to internal records and interviews with current and former agents. This strategy, employed while the agency battled a severe drug epidemic, involved agents monitoring drug shipments without seizure to build larger cases against traffickers.
Agents and experts have voiced concerns that this tactic, particularly with the highly lethal synthetic opioid fentanyl, endangered public safety and potentially violated Justice Department guidelines. DEA Special Agent David Howell, who filed a whistleblower complaint, stated that the agency's actions, described as "willful blindness," led to preventable deaths. He noted that while the DEA's top priority is combating illicit fentanyl, the lethality of the drug makes traditional surveillance tactics risky.
New Mexico has been at the epicenter of the fentanyl epidemic, with overdose deaths increasing by 21% last year while national figures saw a 14% decrease. Former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez defended the approach, citing limited resources and the belief that prosecuting major organizations has a greater impact. He stated that "bigger fish are worth catching" to save more lives.
The DEA, however, has refuted these claims. Spokesperson Amanda Wozniak stated that the investigative decisions were lawful and consistent with department guidance, calling descriptions of knowingly permitting fentanyl to reach communities false. The agency maintained that investigations involved court-authorized surveillance targeting larger organizations.