33 indicted following FBI drug operation in Philadelphia’s Kensington section
By6abc Digital Staff, Annie McCormick, and Briana Smith
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BI Dismantles Massive Drug Operation in Philadelphia’s Kensington Neighborhood
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Federal authorities say they’ve dealt a major blow to Philadelphia’s drug trade, announcing indictments against 33 people tied to a sprawling fentanyl and narcotics network based on Weymouth Street in the city’s hard-hit Kensington section.
In an early-morning operation Friday, FBI agents and local police executed dozens of search warrants, arresting 24 suspects connected to what officials are calling the Weymouth Street Drug Trafficking Organization. Eight defendants were already behind bars, and one remains at large.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf called it “the largest federal indictment this century” brought by his office, describing the case as a nearly decade-long criminal enterprise that trafficked “tremendous volumes” of fentanyl, cocaine, crack, and heroin.
“Like a precision missile, this case was targeted for maximum impact at the heart of the opioid scourge in Kensington,” Metcalf said at a press conference, adding that dozens of firearms were also recovered.
The alleged ringleader, Jose Antonio Morales Nieves, 45, known as “Flaco” and originally from Puerto Rico, is accused of controlling drug sales on his block and collecting “rent” from others who wanted to sell there. Prosecutors say Morales Nieves used intimidation and violence — directly or through associates — to protect the organization’s profits and territory.
Ramon Roman-Montanez, 40, known as “Viejo”, allegedly managed daily street operations, setting the sales schedule, overseeing profits, and handling drug supplies. Another suspect, Nancy Rios-Valentin, 33, is accused of helping coordinate the shifts and manage proceeds.
Chopper 6 captured the massive law enforcement presence Friday morning, with FBI agents and police swarming homes along the 3100 block of Weymouth Street, near Allegheny Avenue.
“We have permanently removed a drug trafficking organization from the streets of Philadelphia,” said FBI Director Kash Patel, adding that the raids would help stop the flow of “guns, chemicals, and drugs” into local neighborhoods. “Our children are safer today,” he said.
Metcalf described the operation as being run “like a business,” with structured shifts, supervisors, and clear hierarchies — except the product was poison.
“For nearly a decade, this group profited off addiction, selling enormous quantities of fentanyl, crack, cocaine, and heroin in one of the most notorious open-air drug markets in America,” he said.
Community activist Rosalind Pichardo, who grew up in Kensington and now helps those struggling with addiction, welcomed the arrests.
“It’s great that people got arrested for putting this poison on the streets and causing so many overdoses,” she said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs said the organization “ran the block with an iron fist,” spreading violence and fear throughout the community.
Officials say the investigation — involving federal, state, and local agencies — represents just the beginning of a broader effort to dismantle the networks that have turned Kensington into the epicenter of Philadelphia’s opioid crisis.
Billboards will soon appear across the city urging residents to report drug activity and help law enforcement target other trafficking rings.
If the case is successful, prosecutors say it could mark the “long-term annihilation” of one of the city’s most entrenched drug gangs.
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