Staggering amounts of fentanyl hit streets as the DEA watched and took no action, records show (opens original article in a new tab)

The DEA allowed large quantities of fentanyl to reach New Mexico streets while monitoring shipments without seizing them, according to sources and records, as part of a strategy to build larger criminal cases against traffickers.

• DEA allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico streets between 2023 and 2025
• Agents monitored shipments but did not seize them to build larger criminal cases
• DEA claimed investigative decisions were lawful and consistent with Department guidance
• Overdose deaths in New Mexico increased by 21% despite national decline