Whistleblower says DEA let fentanyl pills hit the streets
Summary
DEA Special Agent David Howell alleges that the agency allowed fentanyl pills to reach the streets as part of investigations, despite warnings about the risk. He says agents faced criticism after seizing thousands of pills in an Albuquerque case; the Justice Department says an inspector general investigation is ongoing.Key Facts
- Howell said he warned DEA managers for three years that large amounts of fentanyl were reaching the streets.
- The tactic known as “walking” allows suspected drug shipments to proceed so investigators can follow them and build cases.
- In a 2023 Albuquerque investigation, agents stopped an SUV carrying a child and seized a gun and between 6,000 and 7,000 fentanyl pills, according to Howell.
- Howell said officials at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Mexico chastised agents for seizing the pills.
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued the federal government over the practice.
- Officials in the Albuquerque area declared a state of emergency amid rising fentanyl overdose calls.
- The Justice Department said its inspector general is conducting an independent investigation and that it could not comment while it remains ongoing.
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