DEA Seeks Independent Review After Claims Agents Allowed Entry of Fentanyl

This comes just a day after New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for a probe into whether any federal agents violated state law.

This photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration shows pills containing fentanyl that were seized by the DEA in New Mexico, on April 28, 2025. DEA via AP

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on June 25 asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct an independent review after allegations that its agents had allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills into New Mexico.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole made the request in a letter addressed to the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General, saying the allegations have “generated significant public attention and have raised questions regarding DEA’s operational decisions, supervisory oversight, and response to concerns.”