Key facts
- New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling for a criminal investigation into the DEA.
- An AP investigation revealed DEA agents allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach the streets between 2023 and 2025.
- The governor alleges this strategy gambled with public safety and may have violated Justice Department rules.
- DEA spokesperson stated that claims of the agency knowingly permitting fentanyl to reach communities are false.
- New Mexico experienced a 21% increase in overdose deaths last year, contrasting with a national 14% decrease.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for a criminal investigation into the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) following an Associated Press report detailing how federal agents allegedly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach the streets over a two-year period. The governor asked the state's attorney general to examine whether the DEA's tactics violated New Mexico law, framing the issue as a critical public safety concern in a state heavily impacted by the opioid crisis.
The AP investigation, citing current and former DEA agents and government records, found that agents repeatedly permitted major fentanyl shipments to pass through New Mexico between 2023 and 2025. This strategy was reportedly employed to build cases against higher-ranking traffickers, a decision the governor described as "reckless and dangerous" and a gamble with public safety.
"New Mexican lives are not the federal government’s cost of doing business," Lujan Grisham stated, vowing to hold the federal government accountable. The DEA, however, has defended its actions, with spokesperson Amanda Wozniak stating that descriptions of the agency knowingly permitting fentanyl to reach communities are false and mischaracterize the facts. The agency has previously contended that seizing every drug shipment is not plausible and that the investigative decisions were lawful and reasonable.
Alex Uballez, who served as U.S. attorney in New Mexico, explained that unseized drugs were sometimes a result of limited resources and a strategic focus on prosecuting larger organizations. While it remains unclear if specific fatal overdoses can be directly attributed to this DEA strategy, New Mexico has seen a significant increase in overdose deaths, with a 21% spike last year compared to a 14% national decrease.
A DEA whistleblower, David Howell, has brought attention to the issue through a complaint, and advocacy groups are urging congressional and Justice Department investigations. Victims' families have also voiced their concerns, highlighting the contradiction between the DEA's alleged actions and its public awareness campaigns warning of fentanyl's lethality.