Alaska law enforcement officials report a significant increase in alcohol seizures in 2024, with enforcement actions focusing on mail service leading to the confiscation of more than four times the volume seized in 2023.
According to an annual report by the Alaska Department of Public Safety, authorities seized over 8,500 liters of distilled spirits, malted beverages and wine. The heightened enforcement efforts targeted illegal alcohol shipments to the state’s “local option” communities — 96 areas that have banned the sale, importation or possession of alcohol. Of these, 31 communities have outright prohibited alcohol possession.
Commander Cornelius Sims of the state Drug Enforcement Unit credited the presence of additional investigators for the increase in seizures.
“Prior to this year, and about halfway through this year, I didn’t have investigators in those locations,” Sims told the Arctic Sounder. “So having investigators there that can work parcels coming in through the post offices there, as well as contacting passengers that are flying through the hub communities, to the local option communities, I think has helped increase that number.”
The enforcement unit collaborates with the U.S. Postal Service to identify suspicious packages. When investigators establish probable cause, they work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska to obtain search warrants.
“You’d be surprised at the amount of people that will ship alcohol, and attempt to ship it through to local option communities, through the United States Postal Service, as well as the airport, you know, in their luggage,” Sims added.
Beyond alcohol, the state drug enforcement unit, comprised of 29 officers statewide, also focuses on intercepting illegal drugs.
Last year, agents seized over 1,200 pounds of illicit substances, marking a 76% increase from 2023. The majority of these drugs were confiscated in Anchorage and at Ted Stevens International Airport. Authorities reported a rise in methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin seizures, along with marijuana, which remains legal in Alaska but cannot be transported through federal mail.
According to the report, 72 alcohol-related offenses were charged in 2024, with 50 resulting in convictions and 20 being thrown out. Convicted offenders faced an average jail sentence of two years and fines averaging $2,843.
The statewide drug enforcement unit partners with more than 22 federal, state, and local agencies under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative, a federally funded program dedicated to combating drug trafficking and substance-related crimes across Alaska.
