11 people arrested, 1 wanted in connection with a drug trafficking operation in Philadelphia’s Kensington district

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A dozen people have been charged in connection with a drug trafficking organization that has operated out of Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood for the past year and a half.

Ten of the accused have been arrested by Philadelphia police. One person is awaiting extradition from another state and another person remains at large.

The 12 suspected members of a drug trafficking organization were active in Fairhill and Hunting Park, according to police. They were arrested by local and federal authorities last Thursday and have since been charged with drug and weapons possession.

The majority of the serious allegations are made against 30-year-old Wilfredo Avila.

Authorities say their investigation began in February 2023, but police only searched several properties around Kensington last week, including the 3300 block of North American Street in Hunting Park and the 2900 block of Lawrence Street in Fairhill.

“Our law enforcement teams visited 14 locations, executed multiple warrants and arrested over 12 suspects,” said Eric Degree, Special Agent in Charge at ATF Philadelphia.

The Safer Communities Act, passed in 2022, also contributed to this, particularly in the form of grants that provided additional funding.

“A total of 57 firearms, including several personally manufactured firearms – also known as PMFs -, .556 and .223 caliber rifles, pistols with extended magazines, stolen firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition, as well as a machine gun conversion device – also known as a switch,” Degree said.

“The investigation resulted in the purchase or seizure of more than two kilograms of cocaine and 19,000 packets of fentanyl, equivalent to over 50,000 potentially lethal doses of fentanyl,” added Jacqueline Romero, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Authorities could not say whether any of the defendants also face drug or murder charges, but added that they are currently conducting ballistics tests on all seized weapons.