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12 clusters · 130 sources · 70 days · First seen · Last updated

DEA fentanyl controversy deepens with DOJ and House probes

Overview

New Mexico officials have intensified legal and political action after whistleblowers alleged that DEA agents allowed more than one million counterfeit fentanyl pills to circulate in the state between 2023 and 2025 while building larger cases. The claim, made by Special Agent David Howell and attorney Tristan Leavitt, echoes earlier accusations that the agency ignored the 2019 seizure mandate and monitored shipments instead. Overdose deaths rose 21% during that period, prompting Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to announce a bid for billions of dollars in civil damages and to demand full documentation of every declined seizure since Jan. 17. Attorney General Raúl Torrez opened a criminal investigation, seeking records, possible prosecutions and reforms.

The Biden-era Justice Department revised its fentanyl-seizure guidelines in July 2026, granting agents discretion rather than a mandatory seizure requirement. The federal Office of the Inspector General and the DOJ’s own OIG have launched parallel probes, including a 20-page complaint from a third unnamed DEA special agent describing multiple large fentanyl and methamphetamine deliveries that were tracked rather than seized. In August 2026, DOJ Inspector General Don Berthiaume announced a formal review of the tactic, which some describe as allowing drugs to ‘walk.’

Concurrently, House Republicans on the Oversight Committee have launched an investigation into the DEA. Chairman James Comer has requested records from Attorney General Todd Blanche to examine whether agents were instructed to ‘stand down’ rather than intercept shipments. Comer characterized a policy directing agents not to intercept significant shipments as ‘unconscionable,’ noting it has likely resulted in considerable harm and loss of life. In a parallel legal action, Attorney General Raúl Torrez has sued the Department of Justice to compel the release of similar records.

Entities

Drug Enforcement Administration · U.S. Department of Justice · New Mexico · David Howell · Alex Uballez

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 6 days ago

    [POLITICS] 31 sources
    House Republicans investigate DEA tactic allowing fentanyl shipments to go unseized

    House Republicans are investigating the DEA for a tactic that allowed major fentanyl shipments to go unseized in New Mexico while agents monitored them to build larger criminal cases.

  2. 20 days ago

    [CRIME] 9 sources
    Justice Department watchdog to review DEA fentanyl seizure tactics

    The Justice Department Inspector General is reviewing a DEA tactic of allowing fentanyl shipments to proceed to the streets to build larger drug trafficking cases.

  3. about 1 month ago

    [CRIME] 4 sources
    U.S. Justice Department probes DEA fentanyl monitoring program

    The DOJ is probing a DEA program that let large fentanyl shipments move through Arizona‑New Mexico without seizure, based on three whistleblower complaints alleging retaliation and potential deaths.

  4. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    U.S. DOJ and DEA face scrutiny over fentanyl policy in New Mexico

    The Biden DOJ loosened fentanyl seizure rules, prompting a DEA whistleblower's claim that pills were left on New Mexico streets. State officials demand answers and documentation, while federal investigations go

  5. 2 months ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    UNODC warns of global drug market expansion driven by technology and new synthetic substances

    UNODC’s 2024 report warns that technology and new synthetic drugs are expanding the global illicit market, with 331 million users and rising production in regions like Mexico, Myanmar and Afghanistan, urging a

  6. 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 10 sources
    New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham seeks billions in damages over DEA fentanyl policy

    New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham will seek billions in damages after DEA agents allegedly let fentanyl shipments flood the state, prompting a criminal probe and calls for federal accountability.

  7. 2 months ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    UNODC warns of record global drug use and surge in novel synthetic substances

    UNODC reports 331 million drug users in 2024, a surge in new synthetic substances, rising synthetic opioid use, and global methamphetamine expansion.

  8. 2 months ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    UNODC reports 331 million people used illegal drugs in 2024

    UNODC says 331 million used illegal drugs in 2024, up 34 % in a decade, with 755 new substances identified, a shift to synthetic opioids, soaring cocaine output, and a major treatment gap.

  9. 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    New Mexico AG launches criminal probe of DEA over alleged fentanyl shipments

    New Mexico AG Raúl Torrez opened a criminal investigation into the DEA over claims it let hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills flood the state, prompting calls for reforms and a DOJ review.

  10. 2 months ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    UNODC warns of record global drug use and shift to synthetic opioids

    UNODC reports 331 million drug users in 2024, a record rise, and a shift toward synthetic opioids after Afghanistan’s opium ban, intensifying global health risks.

  11. 2 months ago

    [HEALTH] 74 sources
    UN Report Warns Record Global Drug Use and Surge in Synthetic Drugs, Cocaine and Methamphetamine

    UNODC’s 2026 report says 331 million people used drugs in 2024, with record cocaine output and a surge in synthetic opioids, meth and new psychoactive substances.

  12. 3 months ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    DEA's alleged release of over 1 million fentanyl pills in New Mexico sparks whistleblower probe

    Whistleblower claims the DEA let over 1 million fentanyl pills hit New Mexico streets (2023‑25) to build larger cases, sparking accusations of policy breach and calls for investigations.

Sources

100percentfedup.com · actualidad.rt.com · al3omk.com · am.com.mx · antiguatribune.com · bangordailynews.com · barbadosgazette.com · baytoday.ca · brandonsun.com · brasilemfolhas.com.br · buenosairesherald.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · calibre800.com · cannabislaw.report · caretas.pe · castanetkamloops.net · cbsnews.com · cemachampi.blogs.sudouest.fr · chalkbeat.org · contralinea.com.mx · csca.aha.cam.ac.uk · dailycaller.com · dailysign.al · dailysignal.com · desdeabajo.info · desdepuebla.com · dianaalvarado.mx · diarioelzondasj.com.ar · diarioevolucion.com.mx · dnoticias.pt · dominicanaaldia.com · drinkanddrugsnews.com · elbuentono.com.mx · elchamuco.com.mx · eltiempomx.com · ensegundos.do · entrelineas.com.mx · excelsior.com.mx · expreso.com.mx · extra.com.co · faktiditor.ch · fellowpress.com · filo.news · fipa.bc.ca · formato7.com · frontenet.com · fuentesfidedignas.com.mx · funeralofficiant.com

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history