Feds Let 300,000 Fentanyl Pills Reach New Mexico in Wiretap Cases
Updated
Updated · Albuquerque Journal · Jun 22
Feds Let 300,000 Fentanyl Pills Reach New Mexico in Wiretap Cases
3 articles · Updated · Albuquerque Journal · Jun 22
Summary
At least 300,000 fentanyl pills reached Albuquerque and other New Mexico communities during federal wiretap investigations, according to a 19-year DEA agent’s whistleblower complaint and court records reviewed by the Journal.
The tactic involved letting suspected deals proceed to build cases against higher-level traffickers; DOJ reviewers later found Albuquerque agents and prosecutors acted within their discretion and said no specific public-health danger was substantiated.
A 2024 DOJ protocol gave investigators more leeway to weigh public-safety risks against preserving major cases, replacing earlier guidance that said protecting the public was paramount even if investigations were compromised.
DEA denied that fentanyl sales were allowed to succeed in New Mexico, while former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez defended delayed intervention as a way to dismantle broader distribution networks.
The allegations land as New Mexico posts the nation’s worst overdose trend: deaths rose nearly 23% in the year to January 2026, while U.S. overdose deaths fell 14.4%.