Federal and local law enforcement dismantled a major Philadelphia drug operation this week, taking down the notorious Weymouth Street Drug Trafficking Organization, which had controlled an open-air drug market in the city’s Kensington district for nearly a decade.
In a Friday press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the indictment of 33 individuals tied to the organization, describing it as one of the largest gang takedowns in recent memory. Twenty-four suspects were arrested in the coordinated sweep, with eight already in custody and one suspect still at large.
“Everyone in America should be looking at this takedown,” Patel said. “This is how you safeguard cities from coast to coast.” He emphasized the operation as a model for federal-local coordination in battling organized crime.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf detailed the scope of the investigation, noting the indictment covers operations from January 2016 to October 2025. The criminal network trafficked fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine, using violence—including shootings, murder, and assaults—to maintain control of their territory and intimidate witnesses.
“This is a massive drug-trafficking conspiracy… the largest federal indictment this century brought by our district,” Metcalf said.
Most arrests occurred in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, with additional arrests made in Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Delaware. Agents served 11 federal search warrants and recovered dozens of firearms and significant quantities of narcotics. The FBI’s Wayne Jacobs said nine tactical teams executed the raids.
Fox News reports that the organization was allegedly led by Jose Antonio Morales Nieves, aka “Flaco,” based in Puerto Rico. He, along with Ramon Roman-Montanez (“Viejo”) and Nancy Rios-Valentin, ran the drug ring like a business, complete with rental fees, shift managers, and financial oversight.
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino highlighted the raid on social media: “When President Trump told us to ‘go get em,’ he wasn’t kidding. And neither were we.”
