Regional task force investigates drug importation and distribution in Southeast — three arrests made

A Juneau Police Department vehicle at Evergreen Cemetery on Friday, May 15, 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

The Juneau Police Department on Wednesday announced two drug investigations that resulted in multiple arrests last month by the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force.

A search warrant was executed on a box van in the 9000 block of Gee Street in the Mendenhall Valley on June 24. The narcotics trafficking investigation, which began in late May, is ongoing, according to a JPD press release.

Investigators identified the location as a source of fentanyl distribution within the community. During the search warrant, investigators contacted and arrested Juneau resident Jonathan Henry Smith, 39, which resulted in the seizure of suspected narcotics with an estimated street value of $23,600:

• Approximately 17 grams of fentanyl

• Approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine

• Approximately 44 grams of cocaine

Smith was arrested and lodged at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center on the following charges:

• Four counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a Class A Felony

• One count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B Felony

The SEACAD Task Force also intercepted a shipment of suspected controlled substances destined for Hydaburg in June.

The shipment contained approximately 38 gross grams of suspected methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of approximately $7,800.

As a result of the investigation, investigators executed a related search warrant in Hydaburg, which led to the arrests of Raymon Guthrie, 65, and Verlaine Edenshaw, 70.

Guthrie was arrested and lodged at the Craig Jail on the following charges:

• One count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a Class A Felony

• One count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B Felony

Following the investigation, a grand jury indicted Edenshaw and an arrest warrant was issued. She was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Craig Jail on the following charges:

• One count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a Class A Felony

• One count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B Felony

"This investigation highlights the continued cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies working together to protect our communities from the harmful impacts of illegal drugs," the press release states.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.