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 RESPONDERS

“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 SAYS

“Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway,” Grisham said. “The result: hundreds of New Mexican parents burying their kids. Hundreds of New Mexican kids growing up without stable parents. All while the federal government stood by.”

Grisham also pointed to allegations that DEA agents monitored the delivery of 74,000 fentanyl pills to a mobile home park in Albuquerque without intervening.

COLORADO DRUG BUST UNCOVERS CARTEL-CONNECTED ILLEGAL ALIENS, APPROXIMATELY 130K FENTANYL PILLS

“Shockingly, the federal government stood by while monitoring shipments, tallying exact pill counts, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets,” she said.

Current and former DEA agents, including whistleblower David Howell, told the AP the agency’s tactics gambled with public safety and may have violated Department of Justice guidelines.

While the DEA initially denied Howell’s allegations in a statement to the AP, the agency later requested that the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General conduct an independent review.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HALTS DEA’S RANDOM SEARCHES OF AIRPORT TRAVELERS AFTER REPORT FINDS ‘SERIOUS CONCERNS’

“Should that review identify areas of improvement, the DEA will of course implement changes to better their practices,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “We welcome a partnership with Governor Lujan Grisham, as well as New Mexico state and local leaders, to fight the scourge of fentanyl and keep her constituents safe.”

The allegations stem from enforcement operations conducted during the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, even as the DEA promoted its “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness campaign warning that even a small amount of fentanyl can be fatal.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital has reached out to the DEA for comment regarding the investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. – (KFOX14/CBS4) — Some El Paso Electric customers in New Mexico are speaking out against a proposed rate increase that could raise the average monthly household bill by more than $40 by late next year.

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, which will decide whether to approve the proposal, held a public comment hearing earlier this week in Las Cruces.

During the meeting, customers and community members questioned the size of the request and whether the utility is doing enough to serve customers in southern New Mexico.

“This is a border town. It is a college town. It is a retiree town. It’s a military town. We’re not rich like Santa Fe, and the rates just keep going up and up and up,” said Kathy Lucero, a Las Cruces resident.

“We ratepayers and energy consumers should not be asked to subsidize these excessive profits,” said Lynn Moore, a Dona Ana County resident.

El Paso Electric is asking for a $70.4 million increase to its base rates for customers in New Mexico.

El Paso Electric seeks $70.4M hike; average NM bills could rise nearly $42 a month

The utility says the request is needed to recover costs from more than $400 million in New Mexico system investments, including upgrades, reliability improvements and rising costs.

After the hearing, Israel Chavez, a local civil rights attorney, said accessibility is also a concern as the utility asks customers to pay more.

“El Paso Electric closed its office on Water Street. There is no physical office to go to if you live with a disability, if you don’t have the technology to access your utility bill or to talk to somebody, there is no place to go unless you go to El Paso. And I think it’s wrong for El Paso Electric to cut services and then increase rates,” Chavez said.

In a statement addressing concerns about access, El Paso Electric said, “El Paso Electric continues to provide reliable service, along with a range of customer support resources to meet diverse needs, including assistance with account access, bill understanding, and payments.”

The utility added, “We recognize that changes like this can have its challenges, particularly for customers who may face barriers to technology or prefer in-person support. However, we remain committed to ensuring our customers feel supported and have access to the help they need when they need it.”

El Paso Electric said customers can still manage their accounts online, call customer care, or use authorized payment kiosks throughout its service area.

The New Mexico PRC has not made a final decision on the rate request.

If approved, the increase would start taking effect next year in two phases.

FULL PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING

Final community meeting on proposed EPE rate hike in New Mexico draws mixed reactions

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.