DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole announced Thursday that he has requested an independent review by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Source: Drug Enforcement Agency, N.M. Department of Justice
ALBUQUERQUE — Federal and state officials have announced separate investigations into allegations that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration allowed fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities during a law enforcement operation.
DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole announced Thursday that he has requested an independent review by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Cole said the review will examine the DEA’s actions in connection with an investigation that has become the subject of public allegations.
“I made this request because allegations involving a federal law enforcement agency should be examined independently, thoroughly, and based on the complete factual record—not debated through speculation or incomplete information,” Cole said in a statement.
Cole emphasized that the request should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in DEA personnel, saying the agency’s employees “make difficult decisions while pursuing the most dangerous criminal organizations threatening our country.” He added that if the review identifies areas for improvement, the DEA will implement them.
Separately, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that the New Mexico Department of Justice has opened its own formal investigation into allegations that the DEA knowingly allowed fentanyl pills to be distributed in New Mexico communities.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, investigators will seek documents and information from the federal government through a formal Touhy request to determine whether the alleged conduct reflects a broader pattern of reckless or unlawful behavior. The investigation will evaluate potential criminal, civil and other legal remedies.
“The families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and what it failed to do,” Torrez said. “If the DEA stood by while poison flooded our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure. It is a betrayal of the people it was sworn to protect.”
The announcements follow public allegations regarding a DEA investigation in Albuquerque that prompted questions from state officials about law enforcement tactics used during fentanyl trafficking investigations. Both the DEA’s Office of the Inspector General review and the New Mexico Department of Justice investigation are expected to examine the facts surrounding those allegations independently.
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