State Facts

Population: 634,892
Law Enforcement Officers: 1,686
State Prison Population: 4,400
Probation Population: 4,803
Violent Crime Rate National Ranking: 12

Drug Situation: Due to its close proximity to the Pacific Rim and shared border with Canada, Alaska is both a transshipment point for controlled substances to the continental United States and a consumer state.

Historically, drug trends documented in the other states are eventually documented in Alaska.

This includes the growing threat of methamphetamine, Ecstasy, GHB and other "Predatory Drugs."

Alaska has the highest per capita incidence of alcoholism, rape, and suicide in the United States, partially attributable to controlled substance abuse.

2004 Federal Drug Seizures

Cocaine: 220.7 kgs
Heroin: 2.0 kgs.
Methamphetamine: 0.7 kgs.
Marijuana: 3.2 kgs.
Ecstasy: 6 tablets
Methamphetamine Laboratories: 48 (DEA, state, and local)

Cocaine: There are many different cocaine trafficking organizations in Alaska.

Some of the largest ones are predominantly Mexican and Dominican groups, however Eastern Europeans are also involved.

East coast Albanian organized crime groups have recently begun to distribute cocaine into Alaska.

Most cocaine appears to come into Alaska from the West Coast of the U.S.

One cocaine smuggling organization in Alaska offered to sell one kilogram of cocaine for as high as $39,000.

Cocaine and other drugs are distributed throughout the State mainly from Anchorage and Fairbanks, all the way to remote fishing villages and northern rural areas.

Heroin: Evidence of heroin has declined due to much of the user population now illegally acquiring and using OxyContin.

Opium continues to be transshipped through Alaska from the Far East/Pacific Rim countries.

Methamphetamine Lab Seizures: 2000=26, 2001=15, 2002=33, 2003=35, 2004=48

Methamphetamine: Alaska is experiencing an increase in the availability of crystal methamphetamine.

Small toxic labs continue to be found throughout the state.

The pseudoephedrine reduction method is the common manufacturing method used.

Availability seems to be increasing, both from local labs and from methamphetamine mailed or shipped into the state by various methods, mostly from the Western U.S.

Alaska, along with other states in the Seattle Division, is experiencing an increase in the availability of crystal methamphetamine.

Predatory Drugs: There is recent evidence of large quantities of GBL being transshipped through Alaska from Thailand to various "lower 48" states.

MDMA (methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine ), also known as Ecstasy, is a growing threat throughout the state.

Prior to 1999, there were no reports or direct evidence of large quantities of MDMA in any form.

In recent years, MDMA seizures have increased dramatically.

Raves continue to occur in Alaska, with the accompanying use of Predatory Drugs found at these events.

In late 2003 a female died in Anchorage, AK from an overdose of GHB.

LSD remains available in the state, mostly in the university areas.

Marijuana: Marijuana is the most abused and widespread illegal drug in Alaska.

Local law enforcement can only estimate the extent of marijuana abuse because less than 5% of the marijuana in Alaska is grown outdoors.

This makes detection much more difficult.

Recently, BC Bud marijuana from British Columbia, Canada has begun to make its way to Alaska along the Transcontinental Highway.

Other Drugs: The diversion of various controlled substances regulated by prescription is growing.

Alaska is one of the top five purchasing states for five of the top twelve diverted drugs, to include Fentanyl, D-Amphetamine, Oxycodone, Methadone and Meperidine.

Benzodiazepine is also widely abused. Internet purchases of controlled substances, from both domestic and international sites, are on the rise.

Drug-Violation Arrests by DEA: 2000=83, 2001=72, 2002=99, 2003=97, 2004=73

DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement.

This Program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States.

As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests.

There have been no RET deployments in the State of Alaska.