New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Friday announced a criminal investigation into allegations that the U.S.Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities while agents pursued larger criminal investigations.The inquiry comes days after The Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored—but did not seize—large fentanyl shipments between 2023 and 2025 while attempting to build broader criminal cases.Torrez said the investigation will examine potential legal remedies, including criminal prosecution, civil litigation and structural reforms intended to prevent similar conduct by DEA agents in the future."The families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and what it failed to do," Torrez said in a statement.'ILLICIT' VERSION OF FENTANYL LINKED TO DEADLY NEW MEXICO INCIDENT THAT SICKENED FIRST RESPONDERSPhoto released by the DEA shows fentanyl pills seized in New Mexico on April 28, 2025, as the agency faces scrutiny over allegations it allowed other shipments to reach the streets.
(DEA via AP)"If the DEA stood by while poison flooded our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure," he continued."It is a betrayal of the people it was sworn to protect."Torrez said his office "will pursue every legal avenue available to hold the responsible parties accountable and make certain this never happens again."New Mexico Gov.
Michelle Lujan Grisham called for the investigation earlier this week, saying she was "appalled" by allegations that federal agents knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach communities across the state.NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED TO BLUE CITY OVERRUN WITH JUVENILE CRIME, FENTANYL IS 'NOT ENOUGH,' STATE GOP SAYSNew Mexico's attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DEA agents allowed large fentanyl shipments to reach ...