Philadelphia drug trafficking ring dismantled by federal authorities

Federal authorities and Philadelphia police have dismantled an alleged drug trafficking organization known as the Jones-Basley group. Ten individuals were charged in connection with the operation, which is accused of smuggling hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Philadelphia.

Prosecutors allege the organization, led by Gregory Jones and Edward Basley, moved between $5 million and $10 million worth of cocaine into the city monthly between 2024 and 2026. The cocaine was reportedly supplied by Mexican cartels.

All ten defendants face conspiracy charges related to the distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine. Basley faces additional charges for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf described the prosecution as the “decapitation of a conspiracy to inject poison into our streets.”