The Chelsea Inn Motel’s windows are boarded up and the building is under federal control following a dramatic dawn raid Friday morning that involved FBI SWAT officers, Anchorage Police, and the US Marshal. The operation, which targeted a suspected narcotics distribution hub, led to the federal seizure of the property amid an ongoing criminal investigation.
At approximately 6 am on Aug. 22, law enforcement teams executed a high-risk search warrant at the notorious motel, located at 3836 Spenard Road. Flashbangs were used to breach the building, and officers conducted room-by-room searches while detaining occupants in a nearby parking lot. Arrests were made at the scene, although the FBI had not yet released names or details about those taken into custody.
Federal authorities formally posted legal documents on the building’s exterior announcing the seizure of the property. A prominent sign from the US Marshals Service now hangs in one of the lower boarded-up windows, warning: “United States Marshal No Trespassing.”
Also posted on the building is a federal civil lawsuit filed under Case No. 3:25-cv-00177-SLG, titled United States of America v. Chelsea Inn Hotel. The suit seeks court approval for the judicial forfeiture of the hotel, alleging it has been used to facilitate ongoing drug trafficking activity…