Man on FBI’s wanted fugitive list arrested in Alaska
The fugitive had been sought for years on federal meth distribution charges tied to Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The FBI arrested a man wanted for years on methamphetamine distribution charges, the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office announced Friday.
The FBI said Esthepen Delossantos Pebenito, who also goes by “Pepe” or “Stephen Pebenito,” was located and taken into custody in Alaska.
“Esthepen Pebebito was arrested on December 30, 2025, in Anchorage by FBI Anchorage’s Safe Streets Task Force, which includes the FBI, Anchorage Police Department, and the Alaska State Troopers. Ultimately what led to his arrest was information provided by the public to the FBI, in addition to great investigative work by the team, in furtherance of keeping our communities safe,” the FBI wrote in a statement to Alaska’s News Source Friday evening.
Pebenito had been sought since July 2021, when a federal arrest warrant was issued after he was charged in U.S. District Court in Alaska for distribution of controlled substances. The charges stem from allegations that helped distribute methamphetamine in the Anchorage area in 2019.
In Sept. 2025, the FBI publicly renewed its search for Pebenito, offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. He was listed on the FBI’s wanted fugitive list, and agents described him at the time as armed and dangerous and an escape risk.
The FBI said Pebenito had ties to Hawaii, California, Nevada, and the Philippines.
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