PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Federal prosecutors have indicted 10 people in what authorities described as one of the most significant drug trafficking takedowns in Philadelphia history, alleging the group coordinated with a Mexican drug cartel to bring large quantities of cocaine into the city and surrounding area by tractor-trailer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the charges following what officials said was a years-long investigation involving the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department. Authorities said the alleged trafficking organization operated from 2024 to 2026 and maintained direct connections to a Mexican cartel.
“These men were professional narco traffickers,” U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said.
Metcalf characterized the case as more than a typical narcotics prosecution.
“This prosecution is not just of a drug trafficking network; it is the decapitation of a conspiracy to inject poison into our streets,” he said.
Authorities said investigators seized $8 million worth of cocaine in the Philadelphia area and $17 million worth overall while coordinating with law enforcement agencies in other states.
According to prosecutors, cocaine was transported from the Texas-Mexico border by tractor-trailers. Officials highlighted one truck stop in Tennessee last May.
“This truck contained 89 kilograms, almost 200 pounds of cocaine that was destined for Philadelphia,” Metcalf said.
Authorities identified the alleged leaders of the operation as Edward Basley, 47, of Wayne, and Gregory Jones, 48, of Philadelphia. Prosecutors allege the two men coordinated with a Mexican cartel to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the region, distributing between $5 million and $10 million worth of cocaine on Philadelphia streets each month.
“The picture depicted here is Greg Jones counting the money,” Metcalf said while discussing evidence in the case.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said dismantling large-scale trafficking networks can have a broad impact on public safety.
“When you put this level of drugs into our community, the level of violence that comes with that,” Bethel said. “And so when we go after these high-level targets, we’re having a significant impact across the entire city of Philadelphia.”
Authorities said nearly all of the men charged in the case have previous drug trafficking convictions. Some had received sentence reductions or commutations before allegedly returning to drug trafficking activities, according to investigators.
Officials said additional arrests and charges are possible as the investigation continues.
“While today marks an important step, our work here does not end,” FBI Philadelphia official Wayne Jacobs said.
Five of the people named in the indictment were arrested Tuesday, while the other five were already in state or federal custody, authorities said.
All 10 defendants face charges that include conspiracy to distribute cocaine. If convicted, each faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
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