Albuquerque City Councilor Joins NM Governor’s Call to Hold Federal Authorities Accountable for Fentanyl Proliferation Across the State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - As Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, Mayor Tim Keller, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, and other elected leaders call for accountability following reports that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration allowed large quantities of fentanyl to continue moving through New Mexico during federal investigations, Albuquerque City Councilor Joaquín Baca is joining those calls for answers.

For years, Albuquerque has borne the devastating consequences of the fentanyl epidemic. Families have lost loved ones, businesses have struggled, and neighborhoods have experienced increases in addiction, homelessness, crime, and the resulting strain on public safety and city resources. Albuquerque taxpayers have invested millions of dollars responding to a crisis that has touched every corner of the city. If recent reporting is accurate, residents deserve a full accounting of what occurred, why it happened, and what steps will be taken to ensure it never happens again.

Recent reporting by the Associated Press and the Albuquerque Journal alleges that federal authorities allowed large quantities of fentanyl pills to continue moving through Albuquerque during criminal investigations rather than immediately seizing them. Those reports raise serious questions about whether investigative decisions placed New Mexico communities at unnecessary risk.

"As someone who lives and represents the heart of Albuquerque, I see every day the devastating impact fentanyl has had on our neighborhoods, businesses, and families," said Councilor Joaquín Baca. "While the City has invested significant resources in public safety, behavioral health response, cleanup efforts, and revitalizing our commercial corridors, our work should never be undermined by decisions that may have allowed more deadly drugs into our community."

Councilor Baca pointed to his sponsorship of Ordinance O-26-14, creating Enhanced Service and Safety Zones, as one example of the City's effort to address the public safety and quality-of-life impacts associated with addiction, crime, and homelessness. The ordinance coordinates increased police presence, Albuquerque Community Safety response, code enforcement, sanitation services, and other city resources in areas experiencing persistent public safety challenges.

"If the reporting is accurate, Albuquerque residents deserve answers," Baca said. "The City has been fighting the fentanyl crisis on every front. We owe it to the families who have lost loved ones, to our businesses, and to every resident who has lived through this epidemic to understand what happened, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure it never happens again."

Councilor Baca joins state and local leaders in calling for transparency, accountability, and a thorough review of the federal investigative practices described in the recent reports.