Miguel Baez “Javi” Guevara, a Sinaloa Cartel kingpin, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for shipping heroin, meth, and cocaine to Alaska. Guevara had evaded the U.S. government for 10 years, later fleeing to Mexico, where he expanded his drug enterprise. The cartel recruited couriers in Alaska through fake social media personas and encrypted messaging platforms, paying them to transport drugs back to Alaska where they were distributed locally. The remote nature of Alaska makes it an attractive target for drug traffickers looking to profit from higher prices. Guevara targeted Alaskan women as couriers, paying them with cash, heroin, and meth. The drugs were smuggled into Alaska in various ways, devastating communities and contributing to the surge in overdose death rates, especially among Alaska Natives and American Indians. Despite claims of reform, Guevara was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his involvement in the cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel’s distribution of drugs in the U.S. has been targeted by federal agents, including the imprisonment of El Chapo in 2019, his son, and co-founder. Guevara’s arrest and sentencing are part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the cartel’s operations in the U.S.
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