New Facts: Howell alleges DEA let fentanyl pills flow

DEA Special Agent David Howell, in his first TV interview, said the agency let millions of fentanyl pills reach New Mexico communities. He said investigators were told to let shipments “walk” so they could follow traffickers and build bigger cases. “For three years, I’ve told my DEA managers that we’re allowing dangerous amounts of fentanyl to hit the street, and we’re doing nothing to stop it,” he said.

Howell pointed to a 2023 case in Albuquerque, where agents tracking a suspect saw a white SUV pick up a child. He said agents stopped the SUV, secured the child, and seized a gun and 6,000 to 7,000 fentanyl pills from a compartment under the child’s seat. He said the U.S. Attorney’s Office then chastised them for taking the drugs instead of letting the shipment continue.

He said the DEA has allowed drugs to move during past investigations but that agents were told not to do that with fentanyl. The Justice Department said the DEA administrator asked for an independent inspector general review after Howell came forward, and it is ongoing.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources