ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is calling for answers following a controversial federal drug enforcement operation involving fentanyl in New Mexico.
The governor spoke during a press conference in Albuquerque alongside Mayor Tim Keller and other local officials, responding to new details from an Associated Press investigation. The report found the Drug Enforcement Administration allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to enter New Mexico as part of an effort to build larger cases against trafficking organizations.
Lujan Grisham is now demanding answers from both the DEA and federal officials, calling for greater transparency about the tactics used. She also called on the New Mexico Department of Justice to investigate the actions of federal agents involved.
During the press conference, the governor said New Mexico deserves compensation for the impact of the operation, pointing to the state’s ongoing struggle with fentanyl and overdose deaths.
She also emphasized that if the federal government strengthens enforcement and resources at the New Mexico border, it would not only benefit the state, but improve safety nationwide.
State officials say they are continuing to review the situation as questions remain about how the operation was carried out.
