Biden-era drug enforcement decisions let deadly fentanyl move through New Mexico, and now the full cost is coming into view.
Quick Take
- Federal agents monitored fentanyl shipments in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025 without seizing them right away.[2]
- Associated Press reporting says one whistleblower claimed agents allowed at least 1.8 million pills to be delivered.[2]
- The Justice Department’s internal watchdog later said the conduct it reviewed was reasonable and did not create a specific public health danger.[14]
- New Mexico’s governor has asked for a criminal probe, calling the episode a grave failure.[6]
What the Reporting Says
Associated Press reporting, based on current and former Drug Enforcement Administration agents and government records, says federal teams tracked fentanyl shipments in New Mexico from 2023 through 2025 and sometimes did not seize them.[2] The goal was to build larger cases against trafficking networks. One former DEA supervisor said “millions” of pills went unseized, while Special Agent David Howell said his team allowed at least 1.8 million pills to be delivered.[2]
The backlash is easy to understand. Fentanyl kills fast, and families do not get a second chance when federal officials choose a long game over immediate action. New Mexico officials have now pushed back hard, with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham urging a criminal investigation into the DEA’s conduct.[6] She said the agency made a deliberate decision to let fentanyl flood local communities.[9]
Why the DEA Says It Was Lawful
The DEA rejects the claim that it knowingly let drugs reach communities. The agency said the investigative choices were “lawful, reasonable under the circumstances and consistent with Department guidance.”[2] A 2024 internal review by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility reached a similar conclusion, saying the teams used discretion in Title III investigations and that the decisions did not violate guidance, law, rule, or regulation.[14]
That finding matters because it shows the case is not settled by emotion alone. The record now has two competing realities. On one side are whistleblower claims that agents let fentanyl move through neighborhoods to make bigger cases. On the other side are federal officials saying the tactic was controlled, supervised, and allowed under department rules. Both cannot be true in full, which is why more public documents would help settle the dispute.[2][14]
What This Means for Trust in Law Enforcement
For conservatives, this story cuts deep because it raises a basic question: when does strategy become negligence? Federal drug agents are supposed to stop poison, not watch it spread. Even if prosecutors wanted bigger cartel cases, the public has a right to expect a clear line between smart policing and reckless delay. If the government knew the pills were headed into neighborhoods, then confidence in federal law enforcement will take another hit.[2][6]
New Mexico governor calls for criminal probe of DEA allowing fentanyl shipments to hit streets https://t.co/ezqIS7Venq
— Robert Don Gifford (@GiffordLawFirm) June 26, 2026
The broader lesson is bigger than one case in New Mexico. Americans are still living with the damage from weak border control, cartel power, and years of official excuses. The new reporting also shows why many voters want a tougher drug war and less trust in bureaucratic claims that sound neat on paper but leave ordinary people exposed. If more records confirm the whistleblower accounts, the political fallout will be severe.[2][14]
Sources:
[2] Web – AP investigation finds DEA allowed fentanyl shipments in New …
[6] Web – DEA watched fentanyl hit New Mexico without taking action, AP …
[9] Web – ‘Knew People Would Die’: New Mexico Democrat Governor Erupts at Biden …
[14] Web – Staggering amounts of fentanyl hit streets as DEA watched … – PBS