Alaska defense attorney who bragged about working with Cartel sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking

A disgraced Alaska defense attorney has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking offenses. Justin Facey, 46, of Anchorage, bragged about being an attorney for the Cartel, as he trafficked illicit drugs, victimized his clients, and solicited sex in exchange for drug debts, officials said.

Facey was indicted in May 2025 for facilitating a drug trafficking organization run by Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, a California prisoner who was indicted on federal murder and drug trafficking charges in 2023. Facey pleaded guilty in June 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to court records.

More than 60 defendants have been criminally charged in connection with this drug trafficking ring, the DEA said.

Court documents state that after Sanchez-Rodriguez and other defendants were indicted, Facey continued to engage in drug trafficking. He distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances out of his residence between April 2024 and 2025. He also passed firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.

"Mr. Facey was driven by greed and power and bragged about being an attorney for the cartel, while he victimized his clients, trafficked fentanyl and meth, and solicited sex in exchange for drug debts,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, in a DOJ press release. “He betrayed his oath to uphold the law and spread poison in his community. Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA and our law enforcement partners are disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.”

Facey was suspended from practicing law on February 24, 2025.

Scott Bradford, US Attorney for the District of Oregon, said Facey "egregiously betrayed his community" by taking "advantage of his clients and neglecting his ethical responsibilities."

"Facey used his position to promote and personally assist a large-scale drug trafficking organization that endangered Alaskans and other communities," said Bradford. "This sentence is a conclusion of a multi-year investigation and demonstrates that anyone who chooses profit over human life will be held accountable."

FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Anchorage field office, Matthew Schlegel, added: "This sentencing demonstrates that no one, regardless of position or status, is above the law. The FBI, alongside the DEA and our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who engage in drug trafficking activities."

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Task Force.