Drug network cut

WELL, that didn't work.

The Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the largest in the world, had been trying to re-establish a drug pipeline from Mexico to Philadelphia, which could have flooded the city with cocaine, heroin and marijuana, according to city and federal authorities.

After hashing out the details with three Philly drug dealers, the cartel allegedly sent an initial 10-kilogram shipment of coke to the city as a way to ease into the process.

But it was confiscated.

Turns out, investigators from the District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI were running wiretaps that enabled them to shut down the local operation before it even began.

Adios, Sinaloa.

"These agents effectively cut off the head of this dangerous and deadly monster before it ever had a chance of poisoning our streets," said D.A. Seth Williams.

"There's no question in my mind that if the cartel was able to develop a relationship with drug traffickers in Philadelphia, there'd have been drugs from this cartel infecting our city for years to come."

Three men were arrested last week in Northeast Philadelphia in connection with the five-month investigation.

But authorities did not identify them yesterday out of concern that it could endanger the suspects' families.