New Mexico governor requests criminal probe of DEA over fentanyl shipments

New Mexico's governor called for a criminal investigation of the Drug Enforcement Administration after an Associated Press report described federal agents allowing fentanyl shipments to continue in the state. The governor issued the request on Wednesday, stating that agents knew the pills would reach New Mexico communities yet chose not to seize them while focusing on larger trafficking targets.

The governor described the approach as reckless and said the state would explore every avenue to hold the federal government accountable.

Governor's statement "There are no words to describe how reckless and dangerous these decisions were," the governor said in a statement. "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." The governor added that New Mexican lives should not be treated as collateral damage in federal drug investigations.

DEA response A DEA spokeswoman told the Associated Press that public descriptions suggesting the agency knowingly permitted fentanyl to reach communities are false and mischaracterize the facts. The Associated Press reported that the tactics were used in investigations between 2023 and 2025.

A former U.S. attorney in New Mexico told the news agency that limited resources led offices to prioritize larger organizations over smaller transactions. A DEA whistleblower spoke to congressional staffers in Washington on Wednesday about the agency's handling of the cases.

Sen. Bernie Moreno said he would examine how many lives were lost as a result of the operation.