20 people were arrested, 20 firearms were seized, and a cache of illegal drugs was found after law enforcement authorities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey disrupted a cocaine trafficking network based in Philadelphia.
The Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, and Harrisburg Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges against 20 suspected cocaine traffickers who, according to authorities, utilized firearms to defend their extensive trafficking operation in the Philadelphia region.
Twenty weapons, 12.5 pounds of cocaine, and other contraband were found during the execution of dozens of search warrants earlier this month. Additionally, 20 individuals, including Anthony Bang Blake, the suspected leader of the operation, were arrested.
The search warrants in Philadelphia and New Jersey were served mostly with the assistance of New Jersey officials.
All defendants are charged with felonies, including conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver, and other connected offenses, some of which include unlawful firearm possession.
Three pending warrants remain, and seventeen offenders have been arrested in recent days.
Blake, 45, was charged with nine felonies, including violations involving drugs, guns, and corrupt organizations. A bail of $500,000 was imposed.
According to Henry, the attorney general, this arrest operation shut down a sizable network of dealers in Philadelphia because all of the individuals charged were traffickers, with Mr. Blake supposedly at the top of the chain.
Nearly two dozen drug traffickers are taken off the streets thanks to the excellent cooperation of law enforcement in this case. It is well known that the majority of drug traffickers employ firearms to secure their business.
The Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner, Colonel Christopher Paris, stated that the charges made public today send a strong message to drug trafficking groups that they are not welcome in Pennsylvania.
This partnership shows a steadfast dedication to ridding our communities of your violence and corruption and to pursuing justice for the lives you ruin via addiction and demise.
Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, stated that these arrests demonstrate the police force’s steadfast dedication to stopping and dismantling narcotics trafficking networks.
We send a strong and unwavering message through our unceasing cooperation with our partner agencies: drug trafficking networks have no place in our communities, and we will use every resource at our disposal to safeguard our inhabitants.
The Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, and New Jersey State Police received support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Montgomery County Detectives, and Delaware County Drug Task Force.
Clifford Nixon, Ramses Rodriguez, Anthony Brown, Monica Cleveland, Amber Tressler, Carlos Alvelo, Norberto Toldeo, Christopher Ramos, Jerime Jones, Jillian Carrington, Tyrone Hayward, Shawn Sanford, Zamir Allen, Irvin Sanders, Blake, and Kenneth McCall have all been charged and taken into custody.
Arrest warrants are pending for Jonathan Cruz, Terrell Brice, and Khalil Rippy.
20 weapons, 12.5 pounds of cocaine, $72,356 in cash, fentanyl, MDMA, promethazine with codeine, marijuana, and paraphernalia were all seized as a consequence of the warrants.
The case will be prosecuted by the Drug Strike Force Section of the Attorney General. Until a suspect is proven guilty, we assume they are innocent.
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