New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has called for action and a criminal probe of the DEA regarding the state’s fentanyl crisis. The request comes after an investigation found DEA agents allowed major fentanyl shipments to continue moving from New Mexico between 2023 and 2025 rather than seizing them immediately.
Investigation Findings
The DEA claims its actions were lawful and consistent with department guidance. However, Governor Lujan Grisham expressed her disappointment and frustration with the situation, stating that the DEA watched as 74,000 fentanyl pills were delivered to a mobile home park in Albuquerque and did nothing.
The Governor has asked the Attorney General to examine whether the agency’s actions violated New Mexico law. She also plans to hold the federal government accountable for this disaster and will explore every possible avenue of action against the federal government to right these wrongs.
New Mexico now leads the nation in the increase in overdose deaths for the second straight year, despite deaths dropping nationwide. The Governor has spent years working across two administrations, writing letters, traveling to Washington, and meeting directly with President Joe Biden and his cabinet, pushing for accountability and asking for more federal agents to be deployed to New Mexico to help fight this crisis.
Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.