近距离内射合集

RIO RANCHO 鈥� In the heat of a Saturday afternoon in a New Mexico county experiencing a dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths just this year, grief and anger flowed.

The gathering at Rio Rancho鈥檚 Haynes Park included mothers who lost sons to fentanyl poisoning and those recovering from addiction, including an 18-year-old named Elijah who announced he was four months clean after having overdosed a dozen times on the drug and being revived.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration, which has in the past helped sponsor the annual Walk for Lives event in cities nationwide, opted not to attend. That came after in the 近距离内射合集 reported that beginning in 2023, the DEA intentionally allowed several million fentanyl pills to hit the New Mexico streets as they investigated drug trafficking organizations.

Event organizer Kelly Opp, who is with the nonprofit 近距离内射合集 Against Fentanyl, told the 80 or so people in attendance that not all DEA agents 鈥渁re doing bad things,鈥� but she urged those in the crowd upset about the DEA鈥檚 conduct to express their feelings.

鈥淓veryone has the right to confront them and asked them basically, 鈥榃hat the hell?鈥欌�� said Opp, who lost her son William Austin Burnett to fentanyl poisoning in 2020.

The DEA鈥檚 top administrator, Terry Cole, on June 25 asked an internal watchdog agency to investigate what is known as 鈥渨alking鈥� fentanyl, a strategy in wiretap investigations in which fentanyl loads were monitored but not seized as agents built cases against top-tier suppliers.

New Mexico鈥檚 congressional delegation has also demanded answers about the DEA practice, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office in New Mexico.

New Mexico Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez is also investigating the reports at the request of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The 鈥渇entanyl walking鈥� was brought to light by a DEA agent in Albuquerque concerned about the public health and safety ramifications of not seizing the deadly drugs.

Records show that New Mexico had the highest percentage increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. for the past two years. At the same time, drug overdoses nationwide have declined.

State health department officials say Sandoval County, including Rio Rancho, experienced a 74% increase in fatal drug overdoses over the past year, compared to the prior 12 months.

Rosalie Bustamante, whose 34-year-old son Angel V. Bustamante died of fentanyl poisoning last September, drove from Las Cruces with her husband, Raymond, to attend the Rio Rancho event Saturday.

鈥淚鈥檓 angry that nobody cares,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 believe DEA agents need to be accountable, the one who did it (let fentanyl on the streets). We have to stand up and say 鈥榚nough is enough.鈥欌��

鈥淗e (Angel) left behind three children. He told us, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to be like this. It鈥檚 a demon on my back,鈥欌�� she said of her son, who had tried to kick his addiction to the narcotic. It鈥檚 too late for my son. It鈥檚 not too late for my grandchildren.鈥�

Republican gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull, who introduced himself as the former Rio Rancho mayor, told the group that drug agents 鈥渟hould have taken the (fentanyl) and disposed of it.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to rush to judgment, but we need to find out who knew what and hold those individuals accountable,鈥� Hull said.

Shirley Gonzales, who lives in Albuquerque鈥檚 far Northeast Heights, said after her son, Benjamin Paul Gonzales, died March 31, 2024, she found his cellphone and contacted the DEA to give agents the phone numbers and addresses of the last places her son went to buy drugs.

鈥淭hey told me they鈥檇 get back to me, and then when I heard the AG was investigating the DEA for letting fentanyl pills go, it made me so angry.鈥�

In a comment to The Associated Press last week, the DEA released this statement about the Walk for Lives event in Rio Rancho. 

鈥淥ut of respect for the concerns expressed by members of the New Mexico community and families affected by fentanyl, DEA will not participate in the upcoming 鈥� event. DEA has no greater priority than preventing drug poisonings and saving lives. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of the deadly threat posed by fentanyl, honor those we have lost and help prevent other families from experiencing this unimaginable tragedy. We do not want our participation to distract from the purpose of the event or from the voices of families and community members.鈥�

Colleen Heild is an investigative reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at cheild@abqjournal.com.