ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The final two defendants in a six-defendant drug trafficking ring pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to traffic large amounts of fentanyl and heroin to Alaska.

According to court documents, Semaj Brown, 34, and Brandon Garrett, 46, both of Anchorage, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Julio Juarez, 32, of Anchorage, Marcelino Juarez, 30, of Anchorage, Shane Murphy, 43, of Wasilla, and Gustavo Sebastian Lopez-Chavez, 24, a Mexican national illegally residing in the U.S., to purchase fentanyl and heroin in California and transport the substances to Alaska through the mail or in checked airline baggage. Marcelino Juarez, Julio Juarez, Brown and Murphy all traveled between Alaska and California on multiple occasions to obtain drugs and contributed money toward drug purchase trips.

Law enforcement’s investigation into the conspiracy culminated on Aug. 22, 2024, when agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) identified a suspicious parcel destined for a residence in Anchorage. On Aug. 26, 2024, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on the parcel and seized over two kilograms of fentanyl powder from the package. Later that day, law enforcement officials conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel at the destined location. Marcelino Juarez was observed entering the residence, which belonged to a third-party, and leaving with the package in a vehicle with Brown. Marcelino Juarez and Brown met with another vehicle at a local gas station before both vehicles were contacted by law enforcement through traffic stops. Marcelino Juarez was arrested during the traffic stop, and Garrett, who was an occupant in the other vehicle, was detained.

Through further investigation, law enforcement also discovered that Brown and Murphy flew from Anchorage to Los Angeles to purchase heroin and fentanyl from multiple sources between July 3 and 5, 2024. Law enforcement later determined that one of the sources was Lopez-Chavez.

On July 6, 2024, law enforcement at the Los Angeles International Airport seized roughly one kilogram of heroin and two kilograms of fentanyl powder from a checked bag destined for Anchorage. When Murphy and Brown arrived in Alaska, they noted that the suitcase did not arrive. 

The FBI arrested Lopez-Chavez in Los Angeles on Nov. 14, 2024. He was found to be in possession of roughly 23 kilograms of fentanyl, U.S. currency and counterfeit immigration documents.

In total, law enforcement has seized at least 36 kilograms of fentanyl and roughly 10 kilograms of heroin connected to the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Marcelino Juarez was charged by complaint in August 2024, and indicted along with Julio Juarez, Brown and Murphy in September 2024. Marcelino Juarez and Julio Juarez pleaded guilty in July 2025, and Murphy pleaded guilty in April 2025. Lopez-Chavez was charged by complaint and indicted in November 2024 and pleaded guilty in June 2025. Garrett was indicted in March 2025. The Juarez brothers and Brown were identified as known gang members by the Stockton, California, Police Department.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced within the next three months. Marcelino Juarez, Brown, Murphy, Lopez-Chavez and Garrett face between 10 years to life in prison. Julio Juarez faces between 15 years to life in prison due to a prior conviction in California for attempted murder, for which he served 11 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes and Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division made the announcement.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Mat-Su Narcotics Team investigated this case. Special assistance was provided by HIDTA’s Southcentral Area-wide Narcotics Team (SCAN), Fairbanks Area-wide Narcotics Team (FANT), and Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team (AAIT); U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), FBI Los Angeles Field Office, FBI Sacramento Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Los Angeles Special Response Team, Los Angeles Police Department, Stockton Police Department, and California Highway Patrol. The Anchorage Police Department and Alaska State Troopers also provided assistance as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bradley, Jack Schmidt, and Bill Reed are prosecuting the case.

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