A regional anti-drug task force on Wednesday arrested a Washington state woman on drug distribution charges, according to the Juneau Police Department.
Sauhna Kat Cranston, 50, of Washington, was arrested by members of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force Wednesday in Tukwila, Washington, on one count of drug conspiracy for her connection to multiple 2022 drug busts in Juneau which identified her as the source of the drugs being transported to Juneau from Washington, according to JPD.
Cranston is being held in federal custody in Washington and is set to be extradited to Alaska to face her indictment. She was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage in late April, and a federal warrant for her arrest was issued days later. Also indicted was 41-year-old Joshua Allen Coon.
According to JPD Lt. Krag Campbell, Cranston was discovered through investigation to be the source of at least three separate drug distribution investigations that occurred throughout 2022.
Campbell said after connecting with the local law enforcement agency whose jurisdiction Cranston resided, five SEACAD officers traveled to Washington on Tuesday to facilitate the arrest.
According to Campbell, Cranston primarily sourced fentanyl to distributors in Juneau. According to her late-April indictment, she is also suspected of distributing methamphetamine and heroin. Campbell said currently it does not appear that Cranston is connected to any recent drug busts in Juneau that occurred in 2023, but he noted investigations are still underway.
Campbell described her as a “bigger fish” for illegal drug distribution in Juneau.
“I think it puts a pretty big damper on the drug flow in Juneau at least for a period of time,” he said. “Of course, there might be someone who will fill in those gaps eventually, but I think this will make a difference in the amount of drugs flowing into our community.”
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807.
