A Kodiak couple was arrested last week for drug trafficking. Law enforcement seized 10.2 pounds of cocaine from them according to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers on Monday, April 7.
Officers charged 52 year-old Nathaniel Scott Newman and 40 year-old Whitney Sands with third degree misconduct involving controlled substances.
Troopers say the street value of the cocaine they seized is estimated to be $463,400 with an average price of $250 per gram in Kodiak.
Cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl are the main drug threats in Alaska, according to state agencies.
Kodiak is part of the high intensity drug trafficking area (HIDTA) initiative. It brings local, state and federal law enforcement agencies together to curb the flow of illegal drugs into Alaska. The initiative put out a press release at the end of 2024 saying it had stepped up its enforcement efforts in response to an increase in overdose deaths in Alaska.
Lieutenant Daron Cooper is the deputy commander of the statewide drug enforcement unit, which oversees those efforts. He told KMXT last year, in March of 2024, anecdotally Kodiak agencies spend half their time investigating lower level dealers.
“The lower level dealers in Kodiak are often working with higher level dealers, maybe in Anchorage or somewhere outside the state," Cooper said. "So again, if we have a Kodiak-based unit, they are investigating Kodiak members and that investigation could then turn to others who are in other areas of the state or outside of the state.”
Troopers did not specify what role Newman and Sands potentially play in the flow of drugs into Kodiak. Law enforcement say they are continuing the investigation. Both Newman and Sands are currently out on bail as they await their preliminary hearings.
Anyone facing a substance use disorder, or who is close to someone who is, can call 211 to be connected to resources.
*Editor's Note: This article previously stated that this incident involved two men, which is incorrect. The story has been updated and KMXT regrets the error.
