DEA agent says he took surveillance photos with an iPhone after losing camera access

Special Agent David Howell took surveillance photographs of suspected drug traffickers with an iPhone. He made the statement during an interview on October 30, 2026, while reflecting on his 20th year with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Howell, who has served in New Mexico for two decades, explained that he relied on his phone after the agency stopped providing him with high-powered surveillance cameras.

Howell’s career began after a stint in the U.S. Navy. He joined the DEA and assigned himself to the Albuquerque Field Division. He described his primary mission as protecting the public, a goal he believes the agency has increasingly abandoned in favor of procedural rules.

The conflict intensified during the rise of fentanyl. Howell noted that the synthetic opioid killed more people than heroin and was more accessible. Under the Department of Justice’s Operation Interdiction Protocol, agents were instructed to make reasonable efforts to stop fentanyl from reaching the streets. Howell argued that the policy stated protecting people was paramount, above all else and above the investigation itself.

Howell pointed to an incident in April 2023 as a turning point. He and a partner conducted traffic stops during a wiretap investigation. They seized fentanyl and a loaded firearm from a vehicle that contained an elementary school-aged child. Instead of receiving praise for the seizure, Howell said supervisors reprimanded the team. They were told they may have traumatized the child and that they stole the subject's drugs by taking them without prior notice.

He alleged a deeper issue involved agents watching drug shipments rather than stopping them. Howell described an investigation involving a vehicle arriving in Albuquerque from El Paso. When he asked a supervisor if the team planned to stop the vehicle, he said the answer was no. Agents took photographs of a woman unloading the vehicle. Howell claims that the individuals connected to that apartment sold approximately 74,000 fentanyl pills that same night.

Howell filed a whistleblower complaint with the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General in August 2023. He said he made repeated internal attempts to raise his concerns before taking that step. He informed his chain of command immediately after filing the complaint. He alleges that supervisors later called him to El Paso and removed him from active investigations.

Howell claimed the U.S. Attorney’s Office feared his testimony would reveal that agents walked fentanyl through Albuquerque. He stated that his performance evaluations declined following the complaint. He was eventually sidelined from field work entirely. When he returned to investigations, he lost access to specialized equipment and resorted to using his personal mobile device for visual evidence.

The DEA updated its fentanyl protocol in June 2024. This revision occurred about 10 months after Howell first raised his concerns through formal channels. The new policy granted agents and prosecutors additional discretion in investigative decisions. Howell argues these changes worsened the problem. Two other agents in the Albuquerque office have also become whistleblowers.

Howell remains employed by the DEA despite the controversy. He acknowledged that he has made many enemies within the agency. He said he returns to the question of what the agency exists to do. He stated that all he did was tell the truth.

A DEA media spokesperson said no one could comment on Howell’s claims because an active investigation is underway. Howell, who celebrated his 20th anniversary with the agency on August 20, 2026, said he feels it is incredible that he made it two years. He expressed shame over the agency's conduct and apologized to families who lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses.

Howell said he would tell those families that he is sorry. He described the agency's conduct as shameful and insisted it needs to stop. He remains guided by the oath he took at Quantico to protect the public. He continues to work for the DEA while his case proceeds.