New Mexico governor seeks criminal probe of DEA over fentanyl strategy
11 reported1 unconfirmed1 conflicting
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for a criminal investigation into whether the Drug Enforcement Administration broke state law by allowing fentanyl pills to reach the streets. The request follows an Associated Press investigation that found DEA agents allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to continue moving through New Mexico between 2023 and 2025 rather than seizing them immediately, as agents pursued larger drug-trafficking cases. The governor asked the state’s attorney general to examine whether the agency’s actions violated New Mexico law. Current and former DEA agents told AP the strategy may have violated U.S. Justice Department rules intended to safeguard the public. The DEA has not responded to the governor’s statement but previously told AP the investigative decisions were lawful and consistent with department guidance. It is not clear whether any fatal overdoses in the state can be directly attributed to the DEA strategy.
What’s reported
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called for a criminal investigation into the DEA after an AP investigation found federal agents 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 actions violated New Mexico law.
The AP investigation found DEA agents allowed major fentanyl shipments to continue moving through New Mexico between 2023 and 2025 rather than seize them immediately.
Current and former DEA agents told AP the strategy may have violated U.S. Justice Department rules.
The DEA did not immediately respond to the governor’s statement but previously told AP the decisions were “lawful, reasonable under the circumstances and consistent with Department guidance.”
It is not clear whether any fatal overdoses in the state can be directly attributed to the DEA strategy.
Overdose deaths nationwide fell 14% last year, but New Mexico tallied a 21% spike, according to government data.
The AP investigation cited three current and former agents and government records, including an internal report of a 2023 delivery of 74,000 pills the DEA surveilled but did not seize in Albuquerque.
DEA whistleblower David Howell filed a complaint drawing attention to the unseized fentanyl and spoke with congressional staffers.
Sen. Bernie Moreno called Howell’s revelations “a scandal of the highest order.”
Victims groups criticized the DEA’s approach, saying it contradicts the agency’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign.
Conflicting accounts
The DEA has contended the investigative decisions were lawful and consistent with department guidance, while the governor and whistleblowers argue the actions may have violated state law and Justice Department rules.
Open questions
It is not clear whether any fatal overdoses in New Mexico can be directly attributed to the DEA strategy.
Key figures
Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico
Alex Uballez, former U.S. attorney in New Mexico (May 2022 – February 2025)
David Howell, DEA whistleblower
Amanda Wozniak, DEA spokesperson
Sen. Bernie Moreno, Ohio Republican
Michael Glownia, founder of a nonprofit for families affected by fentanyl
Sources: abcnews.com
