14 Drug Ring Leaders Arrested With Help From Montco Police: AG

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Fourteen people have been arrested following a three-month investigation into a drug ring operating out of the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Tuesday. Local law enforcement agencies in Bucks and Montgomery counties assisted in the investigation.

Authorities seized six kilos of heroin/fentanyl, two kilos of cocaine, five handguns, a rifle, $200,000 in cash, a kilo press, scales, and packaging equipment, Shapiro said. It is the largest Kensington Initiative operation to date. The Attorney General estimates the operation took 198,000 doses of heroin/fentanyl out of Kensington neighborhood, which has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic.

After a three-month wiretap investigation, agents on Tuesday executed 20 search warrants on residences, warehouses, and vehicles believed to be connected to the organization, which has ties as far as Bucks County and Allentown.

Simultaneous raids were executed in those areas. "It is believed that the ringleaders of the organization used children to sell their drugs on street corners," Shapiro said.

Those arrested include: Brendan Perez, Jonathan Ramos, Jay Ramos Rosa, Jeffrey Canales Tapia, Jose Fuentes, Richard Brangen, Edgar Perez, Juan Franco Estrada, Victor Lopez, Giavonna Peterson, Luis Arroyo Galarza, Jerry Arroyo, Marin Duran, and Victor Morales.

“While the ringleaders were jetting off to award shows and expensive restaurants, they were also ravaging the lives of those in our community. I’m grateful for the hard work of our law enforcement partners in the Kensington Initiative to shut down this dangerous organization and make our streets safer for the families, children, and seniors who live there," Shapiro said.

Local law enforcement that assisted in the bust include Montgomery County SWAT, Hatboro Borough Police Department, Whitemarsh Township Police Department, and the Warrington Township Police Department.

The FBI, Philadelphia Police, the DEA, SEPTA Police, State Police, and the U.S. Postal Inspectors were also involved, among others.