Justice Department Reviews DEA Tactic That Allowed Fentanyl to Reach U.S. Streets
The U.S. Justice Department’s inspector general is reviewing a controversial DEA investigative tactic in which agents allegedly allowed fentanyl shipments to continue moving in an effort to build larger cases against drug traffickers. An Associated Press investigation found that shipments allowed to proceed included one containing approximately 74,000 fentanyl pills. The investigation provides a sobering look at the enormous quantities of illicit fentanyl moving through communities and the continuing challenges surrounding fentanyl trafficking, exposure and public safety in the United States.
Original reporting: Jim Mustian and Joshua Goodman
Original article published by: The Associated Press, August 17, 2026