Philadelphia case alleges cartel-linked cocaine supply
Original reporting: Infobae México
What happened
Ten people were charged in a Philadelphia cocaine case involving alleged Mexican cartel supply, with more than $17 million in cocaine seized across districts.
Reporting and context
Ten people were formally charged in Philadelphia in a cocaine-trafficking case involving an organization prosecutors say coordinated with a Mexican drug cartel, according to Infobae México. The FBI-led investigation resulted in the seizure of more than $8 million worth of cocaine and several firearms in the city, while the total seized with cases linked to other districts exceeded $17 million. The charges remain allegations to be resolved in court.
Infobae México reported that prosecutors identified the organization as the Jones-Basley DTO and said it moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to Philadelphia. The indictment alleges that the network supplied cocaine worth between $5 million and $10 million a month. Gregory Jones, 48, and Edward Basley, 47, are identified as the organization’s alleged leaders and face charges of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possessing the drug with intent to distribute it.
Jones also faces an allegation involving cocaine possession within 305 meters of an elementary school, while Basley is charged with possessing a firearm to facilitate drug trafficking. Five defendants were arrested by the FBI in coordinated operations, and five others were already in state or federal custody, the source said. Federal prosecutors said the investigation remains open and that additional arrests are expected.