New Mexico AG launches criminal investigation into DEA over fentanyl claims
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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Friday announced a criminal investigation into allegations that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities while agents pursued a larger criminal investigation.
The investigation comes days after the Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored — but did not seize — large shipments of fentanyl between 2023 and 2025 while trying to build a broader criminal case.
Torrez said the investigation will explore possible legal remedies, including criminal prosecutions, civil suits and structural changes aimed at preventing similar behavior by DEA agents in the future.
“Families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and failed to do,” Torrez said in a statement.
'ILLEGAL' VERSION OF FENTANYL LINKED TO DEADLY NEW MEXICO ILL FIRST RESPONDERS
A photo released by the DEA shows fentanyl pills seized in New Mexico on April 28, 2025, as the agency faces scrutiny for allegedly allowing more shipments to reach the streets. (DEA via AP)
“If the DEA stopped when poison filled our communities, that is not a failure of the programs,” he continued. “It is a betrayal of the people who were sworn to protect them.”
Torrez said his office will “pursue all available legal channels to hold the parties accountable and ensure this never happens again.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for an investigation earlier this week, saying she was “shocked” by allegations that federal agents allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach communities across the state.
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New Mexico's attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DEA agents allowed large shipments of fentanyl to reach local communities while pursuing major criminal cases. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
“Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills got into New Mexico communities, and the agency is allowing it to happen,” Grisham said. “The result: hundreds of Mexican parents burying their children. Hundreds of Mexican children growing up without stable parents. All the while the federal government stands still.”
Grisham also pointed to allegations that DEA agents monitored the delivery of 74,000 fentanyl pills to a mobile home park in Albuquerque without intervention.
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DEA Special Agent David Howell, who filed the report's complaint, poses for a photo outside the US district court in Albuquerque, NM, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
“What's shocking is that the federal government is standing by while monitoring shipments, calculating exact pill prices, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets,” he said.
Current and former DEA agents, including whistleblower David Howell, told the AP the agency's tactics gamble with public safety and may violate Justice Department guidelines.
While the DEA initially denied Howell's allegations in a statement to the AP, the agency later requested an independent review by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General.
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Fentanyl pills were seized by the DEA in New Mexico on April 28, 2025. New Mexico officials have since launched a criminal investigation into allegations involving the agency's handling of separate fentanyl shipments. (DEA via AP)
“If that review identifies areas for improvement, the DEA will implement changes to improve its procedures,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “We welcome the partnership with Governor Lujan Grisham, along with New Mexico state and local leaders, to fight the scourge of fentanyl and keep his constituents safe.”
The allegations stem from enforcement operations conducted during the deadliest drug epidemic in US history, as the DEA boosted its “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness campaign warning that even small amounts of fentanyl can kill.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the DEA for comment on the investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
