Full Breakdown
New Mexico Governor Calls for DEA Probe Over Fentanyl Shipments
6/26/2026, 2:03:17 AM
State Request for Criminal Investigation
On June 26, 2026 Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham asked Attorney General Raúl Torrez to examine whether the DEA’s decision to let fentanyl shipments pass through New Mexico violated state law. The request follows AP and Albuquerque Journal reports that the agency monitored, but did not seize, fentanyl deliveries.
Context: Fentanyl Crisis and Federal Tactics
Fentanyl, labeled a weapon of mass destruction by the White House, has driven an overdose surge. In 2025 U.S. overdose deaths fell 14 %, yet New Mexico’s rate rose 21 % (AP) to 23 % (Journal). Federal agents have used “controlled delivery,” monitoring shipments without immediate seizure.
Key Figures
Key figures include Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Attorney General Raúl Torrez, DEA spokesperson Amanda Wozniak, whistleblower David Howell, victim advocate Michael Glownia, and Senator Bernie Moreno.
Shipment Data and Overdose Impact
Records show a June 2023 delivery of 74,000 fentanyl pills to an Albuquerque mobile-home park and an estimated 300,000 pills reaching New Mexico by September 2024. State overdose deaths rose 21 % in 2025 (AP) and 23 % (Journal) as the national rate fell 14 %.
Official Statements
Governor Lujan Grisham called the DEA’s actions “reckless and dangerous,” saying the agency “knew people would die” and that New Mexicans “are not the federal government’s cost of doing business.” DEA spokesperson Amanda Wozniak said the agency’s actions were “lawful and reasonable.”
Opposition and Victim Voices
Victim advocate Michael Glownia called the ignored guidelines “truly heartbreaking.” Senator Bernie Moreno called the DEA’s approach “a scandal of the highest order” and announced a Senate inquiry. Attorney Alex Uballez defended the tactic, saying delaying low-level arrests can help dismantle larger networks.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
AP investigators could not link overdose deaths to the DEA’s monitoring, while state data show a mortality rise. The DEA says no fentanyl transactions were allowed to succeed, opposing court records cited by the Albuquerque Journal that document multiple unseized sales.
Verbatim Quotes
- “SANTA FE — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today issued the following statement: I am appalled by reporting this week by the Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal that revealed federal authorities made a deliberate decision to let hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills flood into New Mexico communities, despite knowing that fentanyl is so lethal the White House has designated it a weapon of mass destruction.” — Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor of New Mexico
- “Public descriptions suggesting that DEA knowingly permitted fentanyl to reach communities are false and fundamentally mischaracterize the facts,” — Amanda Wozniak, DEA spokesperson
- “Knowing the Justice Department had guidelines to seize the opioids whenever practical — and the fact these were ignored — is truly heartbreaking,” — Michael Glownia, nonprofit founder
- “How many thousands of American lives were lost because the Biden DEA refused to act as deadly fentanyl poured over Biden’s open border?” — Bernie Moreno, U.S. Senator
What's Next
Attorney General Torrez has not announced a formal probe. Governor Grisham says she will pursue legal avenues and has urged congressional oversight, keeping the DEA’s tactics under scrutiny.
