ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A retired DEA special agent, who is currently a contractor with the DEA Albuquerque district office, claims he is being retaliated against for supporting a local whistleblower.
Attorneys for retired DEA Special Agent Kevin Small sent a letter on Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General requesting a retaliation investigation.
Tristan Leavitt, an attorney for Empower Oversight, is representing Small and sent a copy of that letter to KOB 4. (See the full letter below.)
In the letter, Small said he supported current DEA Special Agent David Howell – who still works in the Albuquerque district office – after Howell expressed concerns fellow DEA agents weren’t following protocol related to fentanyl investigations in 2023.
Howell claims they allowed large fentanyl shipments into New Mexico in order to build stronger criminal cases. Small claims he soon was not allowed access to certain information in the Albuquerque office, and it got worse after Howell went public with his accusations in late June 2026.
Small alleges that’s when the highest-ranking official in the Albuquerque district office, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Armijo, called Small to his office.
Small claims ASAC Armijo said “if you support David Howell, we’re through.” Small claims he told ASAC Armijo he supported Howell and his revelations and said it was a “tense conversation.”
In the letter, Small alleges the DEA then put strict work hours on him,...
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