The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release last week that more than four dozen people were charged in relation to a large organized crime ring accused of transporting drugs into Alaska.
Law enforcement seized thousands of pills entering the Bristol Bay region from February 2022 to July 2023, heading to communities like Dillingham, Togiak, and New Stuyahok. Officers seized shipments that had between three and five lethal doses per person in each community.
Arrests in Dillingham in connection to the charges took place on Tuesday, Jan. 23, according to the Alaska State Troopers.
Bristol Bay residents have expressed severe concern about the prevalence of drugs, especially fentanyl, entering the region. Some raised concerns and plans to address the issue to the Dillingham City Council in January and asked for their support.
Councilmember Kevin McCambly says he recognizes the flow of drugs into the community as an issue, and that he sees the recent arrest and the drugs seized as a step towards curtailing the problem. McCambly pointed out the resources that are currently available and the attention the issue is drawing across the community.
“Regional tribal health corporations and others in the community are proactively beating the drum to raise awareness to remove the stigma,” he said. “There [are] people starting groups to address exactly this issue. So I do feel like although it's an ongoing cause for concern there is the bigger picture here.”
In an email to KDLG, McCambly said he would like to see the bed capacity at regional substance abuse treatment facilities double.
“The idea being that treatment should be an option for locals who want help without having to leave the region or state to receive it,” he said.
McCambly also wrote that the flow of drugs into Bristol Bay is not just a law-enforcement problem but a social matter and that part of the solution will require providing people with a range of resources, including mental health resources.
“Through treatment programs, we can help promote health avenues of talking with others rather than isolating and self-medicating with mind-numbing substances,” he said.
State and federal agencies are continuing to investigate the case.
Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or
907-842-2200.
