ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The attorney representing a DEA whistleblower says his client knew of the potential career risks, but decided nonetheless to expose a policy shift in which agents in New Mexico were reportedly told not to seize fentanyl pills, so federal prosecutors could try to build bigger or more thorough cases against drug traffickers.
Attorney Tristan Leavitt, who serves as the president of the nonprofit Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research, told KOB 4 that DEA special agent David Howell was stunned when he first received pushback for seizing fentanyl pills instead of allowing them to “walk” or flow into New Mexico communities.
Leavitt claims much of that pushback started in 2023 and primarily came from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Mexico, which was led by Alexander Uballez at that time…