Troopers seize Oregon heroin bound for Valley drug market

WASILLA — Two Oregon men and a Palmer woman are in jail facing allegations they smuggled more than $1 million worth of heroin into Alaska over the last year.

Troopers with the Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) identified Rodney J. Anderson, 53, of Portland, Oregon as a suspect for heroin importation into Alaska in February. Troopers from the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team, Airport Police, and the Clackamas County Oregon Drug Task Force were involved in the investigation. At around 1 a.m. Thursday, officers arrested Anderson, Alyssa Dallman, 28, of Palmer, and Joshua Martin, 39, of Gladstone, Oregon.

At the time of their arrest, the trio was allegedly in possession of 313 grams of heroin. The ongoing investigation revealed Anderson had allegedly imported more than 11 pounds of heroin — worth at least seven figures — over the last year. Anderson allegedly hired Dallman and Martin to smuggle heroin into Alaska.

The heroin seized Thursday at Ted Stevens International Airport was destined for local sale, according to Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters.

“Anderson was peddling heroin out in the Valley,” she wrote. “The stuff coming in was destined to go to the Valley to be sold.”

The drug ring’s full impact on the lives of Alaskans may never be known, said Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit Commander Capt. Jeff Laughlin, in a department of public safety press release.

“We will never now how many lives were impacted in a positive way by this seizure, but we will continue to investigate, apprehend and bring to justice those who are contributing to and profiting from those suffering with addiction," he said.

Officials charged all three with a single count of second-degree drugs misconduct. Anderson received $100,000 bail, Martin received $50,000 bail, and Dallman received $10,000 bail.

Anderson and Martin were in the Anchorage Jail Friday. Dallman was being held at Hiland Mountain correctional, according to the Alaska Department of Corrections.