‘High-level’ cocaine-trafficking ring in Philly and Bucks County busted, Pa. attorney general says
The alleged enterprise called themselves Fifth and Cornwall, named for the Fairhill area in North Philly where they were based.
Law enforcement officials have busted a “high-level” cocaine-trafficking ring that operated in North Philadelphia and Bucks County, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday.
In a series of arrests on Thursday, officials seized 12 kilograms of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 19 firearms, several vehicles, and $275,000 in cash, Sunday said at a news conference.
Sixteen people were arrested, and law enforcement is searching for five others who were also charged in connection with the ring.
The group referred to themselves by the Fairhill block where they primarily operated, Fifth and Cornwall, Sunday said. “It was very much like a factory assembly line,” he said.
The alleged leader of the group, Jimmie Torres, split his time between Puerto Rico and Philadelphia. His son, Matthew Torres, oversaw the trafficking enterprise in Pennsylvania, according to Sunday. Matthew Torres was arrested Thursday, but law enforcement has yet to locate the elder Torres.
The drugs were processed through a home in Levittown, where they were packaged and prepared for sale. Then, individuals in the ring transported the drugs to different stash locations in Philadelphia, according to Deputy Attorney General Catherine Pirolli.
“These drugs take human lives,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn at Friday’s news conference. She said the ring was “sophisticated” and operated “with a high degree of complexity.”
Sunday declined to specify how long the group supposedly was in operation, but said it had been working for “many years.” Law enforcement officials had been investigating the group since July 2024, but did not say what led to this week’s arrests.