DEA let fentanyl flood New Mexico streets as whistleblower warns ‘we got people killed’ (opens original article in a new tab)

The DEA allowed fentanyl to flow in New Mexico while building cases against traffickers, leading to increased overdose deaths, according to a whistleblower. A review found no specific public health danger from the agency's actions.

• DEA allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to circulate in New Mexico between 2023 and 2025
• Whistleblower David Howell criticized the strategy as dangerous, citing a 21% spike in overdose deaths
• Justice Department guidelines for fentanyl seizures were rewritten in 2024 to grant more discretion to law enforcement