New Mexico AG Opens Criminal Probe Into DEA Fentanyl Operations
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced a criminal investigation on Friday into alleged DEA conduct that allowed large fentanyl pill shipments to reach the state.[1]
The probe focuses on DEA practices from 2023 to 2025 in which agents allegedly monitored but did not seize shipments, including a monitored delivery of 74,000 pills.[1] Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham had urged a state inquiry and Torrez said his office will seek records and accountability.[1]
David Howell, a DEA special agent, filed a formal whistleblower complaint in late 2023 alleging agents monitored large fentanyl deliveries to build bigger cases instead of seizing the drugs.[1] An Associated Press investigation and Howell's complaint prompted scrutiny and led to Lujan Grisham's call for state action.[1]
The DEA has asked the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General to conduct an independent review of the allegations.[1]
New Mexico recorded 775 drug overdose deaths in 2024, and provisional data show about 881 deaths in the 12 months ending August 2025.
The mainstream summary does not mention the significant context surrounding the DEA's operational tactics, particularly the use of controlled delivery strategies that have been criticized for compromising public safety. Former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez noted that these tactics, which involve allowing certain shipments to proceed to gather intelligence, reflect a broader DOJ guidance aimed at disrupting higher-level trafficking organizations rather than simply seizing every shipment. This perspective suggests a complex balancing act that the DEA must navigate, which the summary simplifies to allegations of negligence in monitoring shipments. Furthermore, while the summary provides overdose death statistics, it does not highlight the alarming trend of rising overdose deaths in New Mexico, which increased by about 4% from 2024 to 2025, even as many other states experienced declines. This stark contrast underscores the severity of the fentanyl crisis in the state and the urgency behind the Attorney General's investigation, indicating a deeper systemic issue that the mainstream account does not fully capture.[2][3]
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📊 Relevant Data
New Mexico recorded 775 drug overdose deaths in the most recent year with complete CDC data available, for a rate of 37.1 per 100,000 residents.
Provisional data show New Mexico drug overdose deaths rose about 4% to 881 in the 12-month period ending in 2025, while most states saw declines.
New Mexico sees slight increase in drug overdose deaths — KOAT
📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, June 26, 2026, AG Raúl Torrez announced a criminal investigation into DEA conduct in New Mexico fentanyl cases.
- The probe targets DEA practices between 2023 and 2025 in which agents allegedly monitored but did not seize large fentanyl pill shipments.
- Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier demanded the investigation and highlighted a monitored 74,000-pill shipment to an Albuquerque mobile home park.
- Whistleblower DEA Special Agent David Howell’s complaint and an Associated Press investigation triggered the scrutiny.
- DEA has asked the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General to conduct an independent review of the allegations.
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