New Mexico AG opens formal probe into claims DEA let fentanyl pills spread statewide

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced on Friday that his office has opened a formal investigation into allegations that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration knowingly allowed fentanyl pills to be distributed throughout the state.

The move comes after three current and former DEA agents and government records, reviewed by the Associated Press, show that federal agents allowed thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities while pursuing larger drug-trafficking cases.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has since called for a criminal investigation into the matter in a June 24 letter.

Torrez said New Mexico has been among the states hardest hit by the fentanyl crisis, with overdose deaths devastating communities across the state.

“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. If the DEA stood by while poison flooded our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure. It is a betrayal of the people it was sworn to protect. This office will pursue every legal avenue available to hold the responsible parties accountable and make certain this never happens again,” Torrez said.

The New Mexico Department of Justice will transmit a formal Touhy letter to the federal government demanding documents and information about the DEA’s conduct in New Mexico and nationally, to determine whether the alleged failures reflect a broader pattern of reckless or unlawful behavior.

Torrez said the investigation will evaluate the full range of available legal remedies, including criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and structural relief to prevent similar conduct in the future.

READ THE LETTER:

RECOMMENDED: Feds allowed millions of fentanyl pills to ‘walk’ on New Mexico streets: DEA Whistleblower

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