New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for a criminal investigation into the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) following an Associated Press report that revealed federal agents permitted the distribution of hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills over a two-year period. This decision was made while the DEA aimed to pursue larger drug trafficking cases.
The governor has requested the state’s attorney general to assess whether the DEA's actions breached New Mexico law, marking a significant challenge to a federal agency amidst the ongoing fentanyl crisis, which is considered one of the most severe public health threats in the nation.
The AP investigation found that DEA agents allowed substantial fentanyl shipments to transit through New Mexico from 2023 to 2025 instead of seizing them immediately. The rationale behind this strategy was to build cases against higher-level traffickers. However, the governor's request for a criminal review raises questions about the legality of the DEA's methods in drug enforcement.
In a statement, Lujan Grisham expressed her outrage, stating, "There are no words to describe how reckless and dangerous these decisions were. The DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway." The DEA has not yet responded to the governor’s statements but has previously defended its actions, asserting that the investigative decisions were lawful and consistent with departmental guidance.
Former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, Alex Uballez, indicated that sometimes drugs were not seized due to limited resources and a belief that targeting larger organizations would yield a more significant impact than intercepting every shipment.
While nationwide overdose deaths decreased by 14% last year, New Mexico experienced a 21% increase, raising concerns about the implications of the DEA's strategy. The governor emphasized that New Mexican lives should not be collateral damage in the federal government's operations, vowing to hold the federal agency accountable.
David Howell, a DEA whistleblower, has also raised concerns about the agency's decisions and has spoken with congressional staff regarding his allegations. Victims' advocacy groups have criticized the DEA for failing to act, noting that this approach contradicts the agency's own messaging about the dangers of fentanyl.
Reported by HarborBeat based on WMAR-2 News (source).
0 Comments
Log in to join the conversation.