New Mexico Opens Criminal Probe of DEA Over 100,000s of Unseized Fentanyl Pills
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 26
New Mexico Opens Criminal Probe of DEA Over 100,000s of Unseized Fentanyl Pills
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 26
Summary
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Friday launched a criminal investigation into whether DEA agents violated state law by letting hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills reach Albuquerque streets.
The probe follows AP reporting that agents repeatedly monitored but did not seize shipments from 2023 to 2025 while trying to build larger trafficking cases, a tactic whistleblowers said risked public safety and may have breached Justice Department rules.
Torrez said he will demand documents on DEA conduct in New Mexico and nationally to determine whether the Albuquerque case reflects a broader pattern of reckless or unlawful behavior; Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had called for the inquiry earlier this week.
The DEA first denied the allegations, then asked the Justice Department inspector general to investigate, while the department said it would work with New Mexico leaders against fentanyl.
The clash lands in a state hit hard by overdose deaths and turns a dispute over enforcement tactics into a legal test of how far federal agents can go while pursuing bigger drug cases.
Can a state's criminal probe change how the federal government fights its war on drugs?
When does a federal strategy to catch drug kingpins cross the line into endangering the public?
DEA Under Criminal Investigation in New Mexico for Allowing Hundreds of Thousands of Fentanyl Pills to "Walk"
Overview
New Mexico has launched a criminal investigation into the DEA after allegations surfaced that hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills went unseized, despite the ongoing national opioid crisis. The controversy centers on the DEA's 'walk' strategy, which allowed fentanyl shipments to proceed in hopes of targeting larger trafficking networks. This approach has drawn sharp criticism from victims' groups and families, especially as Justice Department guidelines to seize opioids were reportedly ignored. In response to public outcry and to restore trust, the DEA Administrator has requested an independent review of the agency’s conduct.