The Justice Department's Inspector General will review a DEA tactic that allowed fentanyl shipments to reach communities, following an AP investigation that found agents monitored but did not seize major drug loads in New Mexico.
The review raises serious questions about the DEA's operational tactics and their impact on public safety during a severe drug epidemic, potentially influencing law enforcement strategies and public trust.
The Justice Department's Inspector General will conduct a review of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) tactic that allegedly permitted deadly fentanyl shipments to reach communities. This review comes less than two months after an Associated Press investigation revealed that DEA agents repeatedly monitored, but did not seize, major fentanyl shipments in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025.
Justice Department Inspector General Don Berthiaume disclosed the review in a news release, marking one of his first official actions since being sworn in. The DEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DEA Administrator Terry Cole had previously requested a narrower inspector general inquiry following the AP's reporting, which also included a review of his agency’s handling of a whistleblower complaint filed by Agent David Howell.
Howell told the AP that federal authorities "poisoned our community to make cases" in New Mexico. An internal DEA report, reviewed by the AP, detailed how the agency watched and declined to interdict a fentanyl delivery consisting of 74,000 pills found in a mobile home park in Albuquerque. This occurred amid the ongoing opioid crisis and while the DEA led a public awareness campaign, "One Pill Can Kill," highlighting the lethal nature of fentanyl.
The inspector general stated the review will focus on actions taken by the Justice Department over the past two years and could determine if similar drug shipments were permitted to occur in other cities. Howell expressed his expectation that the review will demonstrate federal authorities "endangered the public through willful inaction."