- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to circulate in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025, a controversial tactic aimed at building larger criminal cases against traffickers.
- DEA Special Agent David Howell blew the whistle, condemning the strategy as a dangerous gamble that "poisoned our community" and "got people killed," leading to a 21% spike in overdose deaths in New Mexico last year.
- Former U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez defended the approach, stating it was necessary to target major drug trafficking organizations and save more lives, while a DEA spokesperson maintained the decisions were lawful and reasonable.
- Government records reviewed by The Associated Press revealed that DEA agents monitored specific fentanyl deliveries, including exact pill counts, but deliberately did not seize the drugs.
- Justice Department guidelines for fentanyl seizures were rewritten in 2024 to grant law enforcement more discretion, and despite an initial finding of "substantial likelihood of wrongdoing," an internal review concluded the DEA's actions posed no "specific danger to public health."
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