By THE ALASKA STORY
Feb. 26, 2026 – An Anchorage man who was the leader of a multi-state drug trafficking ring was sentenced to 30 years in prison for orchestrating shipments of large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from California to Alaska.
According to the US Department of Justice, Marcelino Juarez, 31, led a conspiracy involved purchasing fentanyl and heroin in California and transporting the drugs to Alaska through the mail and in checked airline baggage.
The organization operated between Anchorage and the West Coast, with ties to known gang members in California and involved at least one illegal alien from Mexico.
Federal court documents state that Juarez conspired with his brother, Julio Juarez, 33, of Anchorage; Shane Murphy, 43, of Wasilla; Semaj Brown, 35, of Anchorage; Brandon Garrett, 46, of Anchorage; as well as Gustavo Sebastian Lopez-Chavez, 25, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in the US.
Authorities said Marcelino Juarez, Julio Juarez, Brown and Murphy traveled repeatedly between Alaska and California to obtain drugs and pooled money to finance purchase trips. The Juarez brothers and Brown had connections in California and were identified as known gang members by the Stockton Police Department.
Juarez had been identified by law enforcement as a drug supplier in Anchorage as early as September 2022. On Sept. 13, 2022, officers executed a search warrant at a trailer in Anchorage where Juarez was living. Investigators seized more than $71,000 in cash and a loaded Draco AK-style pistol from the residence.
The investigation intensified in August 2024. On Aug. 22, agents with the United States Postal Inspection Service identified a suspicious parcel bound for an Anchorage residence. A search warrant executed on Aug. 26 uncovered more than two kilograms of fentanyl powder inside the package.
Later that day, authorities conducted a controlled delivery to the listed address. Juarez was observed entering the residence, which belonged to a third party, and leaving with the parcel in a vehicle driven with Brown. The pair later met another vehicle at a local gas station before officers conducted traffic stops on both vehicles. Juarez was arrested at the scene. Garrett, who was inside the second vehicle, was detained.
Further investigation revealed that Brown and Murphy had flown from Anchorage to Los Angeles between July 3 and July 5, 2024, to purchase heroin and fentanyl from multiple sources. One of those suppliers was later identified as Lopez-Chavez.
On Nov. 14, 2024, the FBI arrested illegal alien Lopez-Chavez in Los Angeles. At the time of his arrest, authorities reported that he was in possession of approximately 23 kilograms of fentanyl, US currency, and counterfeit immigration documents.
Last year, the final two defendants in the six-person conspiracy, Brown and Garrett, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic large quantities of fentanyl and heroin to Alaska.
In December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating fentanyl and its core precursors as a weapon of mass destruction, not just a routine narcotic.
“The Juarez brothers were driven by greed and moved to Alaska to profit from and exploit people’s vulnerabilities,” said US Attorney Michael J. Heyman. “They made a mistake in thinking they could target Alaskans. Now, they will face the consequences. This case is a great example of the incredible partnerships Alaskan law enforcement agencies foster to share resources and make an impact on an issue that directly impacts our state.”
“The Juarez brothers, along with their co-conspirators, are known California gangsters who moved to Alaska for the sole purpose of trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “In this collaborative, multi-agency investigation spanning from California to Alaska, FBI Anchorage and our HIDTA law enforcement partners not only interdicted significant quantities of drugs intended for distribution, but also removed these dangerous traffickers from our streets, protecting both Alaskans and Californians.”
Juarez’s 30-year sentence marks one of the most significant federal drug trafficking penalties in Alaska in recent years, reflecting the scale of the operation and the deadly nature of the substances involved.
As for illegal alien Lopez-Chavez, last summer he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Yet when he was arrested on Nov. 14, 2024, in Los Angeles, he was also in possession of counterfeit immigration documents. There’s no evidence any of the men were held responsible for possession and use of firearms during the commission of these felonies.
In total, law enforcement seized at least 36 kilograms of fentanyl and roughly 10 kilograms of heroin connected to the drug trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents in this case, the price for fentanyl in Alaska, specifically, can be 10, 50 or 100 times the cost to buy powder or pills in California, making drug trafficking from the Lower 48 a lucrative business, the US Justice Department noted.
On July 17, 2025, Julio Juarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. On Jan. 8, 2026, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $40,000 fine.
On April 10, 2025, Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2026.
On July 21, 225, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. On Jan. 15, 2026, he was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
On July 31, 2025, Garrett pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2026.
6 thoughts on “California gangster sentenced for trafficking fentanyl to Alaska”
Don’t be throwing rocks in glass houses ““The Juarez brothers were driven by greed and moved to Alaska to profit from and exploit people’s vulnerabilities,” said US Attorney Michael J. Heyman”
State of Alaska leaders of our industries and departments do the same they exploit and take advantage of weak, sick, and vulnerable Alaskans too.
It’s a consequence for churning out children who grow into adults where 75% of the state’s population are ignorant, illiterate, and that type of ignorance makes them proud and foolish.
If the Left is returned to power, these fellas can be pardoned and back on the streets, doing their good work, in less than four years. They could all potentially receive grants from NGOs.
“A Florida handyman who received a pardon from President Trump for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been convicted of multiple state charges of child molestation and exposing himself to children”. How do explain that JMARK?
Understand: democrats and other leftists support people like this, support their criminal activities. They will fight to keep people like this out of prison, fight to keep the illegal ones from being depirted. It’s why they absolutely NEED RCV, they NEED voting machines. It’s the only way they can get into office, as the vast majority of Americans and the vast majority of Alaskans oppose these people.
M.John: “President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández on December 1, 2025, freeing him from a 45-year US prison sentence for conspiring to traffic over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.” How do you square that with your comment?
Where did I say anything about Trump in my comment? If you were paying attention at all, you’d know that I’m not his biggest fan.