DEA Agent Accuses Agency of Ignoring Fentanyl

Special Agent David Howell filed a whistleblower complaint with the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General in August 2023. He has served the Drug Enforcement Administration for 20 years, all of them in New Mexico. Howell says he challenged his own agency because he believed it failed its primary duty to protect the public.

Howell spoke to KOB 4’s Tessa Mentus on August 20, 2026, which marked his 20th anniversary with the DEA. He cited the rise of fentanyl as the turning point in his career. He described the drug as ten times worse than heroin because it killed more people and was more accessible.

The agent claims the Department of Justice’s Operation Interdiction Protocol stated that protecting people was paramount. That meant placing safety above active investigations. Howell alleges that agency actions often contradicted this policy. He points to an incident in April 2023 involving a fentanyl wiretap investigation.

Howell and his partner conducted traffic stops based on intercepted information. They seized fentanyl and a loaded firearm from a vehicle that contained an elementary school-aged child. Instead of receiving praise, Howell says supervisors reprimanded him. They questioned why the agents took the drugs without informing the suspect. Howell said they were told they possibly traumatized the child.

He stated that a major misconception in the investigation was that stopping someone from selling drugs would ruin a case. Howell argues that is not true. His most serious allegations involve agents watching drug shipments rather than intervening. He claims a vehicle arrived in Albuquerque from El Paso carrying suspected drugs. When he asked a supervisor if they planned to stop the vehicle, the answer was no.

Howell said he photographed the arrival. Agents then watched the individual unload the vehicle. He claims individuals connected to that apartment sold approximately 74,000 fentanyl pills that night. When asked why agents used that approach, Howell said he was told the investigation came first. He filed his complaint after repeated unsuccessful attempts to raise concerns internally.

Howell says he immediately informed his chain of command about the whistleblower status. He alleges supervisors retaliated by removing him from active investigations. He claims the U.S. Attorney’s Office was afraid of what he might testify to on the stand. He said they feared he would reveal that agents walked fentanyl through Albuquerque. He described the reaction as being afraid of the truth.

The DEA updated its fentanyl protocol in June 2024. That was about 10 months after Howell first raised concerns through formal channels. The revised policy gave agents and prosecutors more discretion in investigative decisions. Howell argues the changes made the problem worse. Two other agents in the Albuquerque office have also become whistleblowers. Howell remains employed by the DEA.

He says he is sidelined from field work. His performance evaluations declined, and equipment for surveillance became unavailable. He relied on his iPhone for photos of suspected traffickers. He told Mentus that he is still guided by the oath he took at Quantico. He said he is sorry to families who lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses and that agency conduct has been shameful.

A DEA media spokesperson said no one could comment on Howell’s claims because it is an active investigation. Howell remains in his role despite the controversy. He says he has made enemies but continues to work because he believes he is telling the truth. He is still asking what the agency is there to do.