Jacob Trujillo, Spice Trafficking, Alaska 2022

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – In a crackdown on the illicit Spice trade, a Texas man has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison and three years' supervised release for trafficking over 21 kilograms of the synthetic cannabinoid to Alaska.

According to court documents, Jacob Trujillo, 36, of San Antonio, shipped the Spice through the mail to local distributors in Alaska between 2020 and 2022. The Spice, which is a generic term for synthetic cannabinoids, is a mind-altering chemical formed by dissolving psychotropic drugs in acetone and spraying them on dried plant material.

Furthermore, Trujillo laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in two separate bank accounts between January 2020 and October 2021, making him a financial threat to the community as well.

“Starting in 2015, Spice was flooding the streets of Anchorage, resulting in an influx of medical emergency response calls related to Spice use and six fatal overdoses outside the Brother Francis Shelter,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “This sentence represents one of the final pieces in a joint effort to get Spice off our streets and bring justice to the culprits who brought it to our great state.”

Trujillo's sentencing comes after a joint investigation by the DEA Anchorage Field Office and Seattle Division Office, and IRS:CI Seattle Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schroeder prosecuted the case.

“The Drug Enforcement Administration works everyday with our partners to ensure Alaska is safe from those who seek to target the vulnerable for profit,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentence that Mr. Trujillo received for harming our community serves as a reminder of the seriousness with which we all take this threat.”

“Alaskans have seen first-hand the harm that synthetic cannabinoids, or “Spice,” has caused to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Mr. Trujillo is facing the consequences of his actions, and his sentencing is evidence of IRS:CI’s commitment to keeping harmful and illegal drugs off our streets.”

The exact charges against Trujillo are not explicitly stated, however, the court documents imply that Trujillo was charged with trafficking over 21 kilograms of Spice from Texas to Alaska.

Defendant: Jacob Trujillo

Crime: Trafficking over 21 kilograms of Spice from Texas to Alaska

City and State: San Antonio, Texas, and Anchorage, Alaska

Exact Date: Not explicitly stated, however, the timeframe of the crime is between 2020 and 2022

Sentence or Outcome: Trujillo was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and three years' supervised release

Dollar Amounts: Trujillo laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in two separate bank accounts between January 2020 and October 2021

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/pr/texas-man-sentenced-over-6-years-distributing-spice-alaska