The Pennsylvania Attorney General announced that ten people have been charged in connection with a drug trafficking organization that supplied cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to the Lehigh Valley.
Attorney General Dave Sunday released a news release on Monday stating that nine of them are Lehigh Valley locals and one is from Lancaster County.
According to the announcement, organization head Joaquin “Kino” Gonzalez, 40, of Emmaus, was trafficking drugs into the area from Mexico via Southern California.
The FBI, state police, and Allentown police launched an investigation in 2024, which included searches at multiple sites and the seizure of huge amounts of narcotics, according to the release.
Police seized:
- 5 pounds of fentanyl
- 7 pounds of heroin
- 3,000 fentanyl pills
- 48 pounds of methamphetamine
- 6 pounds of cocaine
- 2 pounds of marijuana
“This was a high-level, cross-country operation that polluted neighborhoods across the eastern part of the Commonwealth with deadly poisons,” Sunday said in the press statement.
The Lehigh County Public Defenders’ Office represents seven of the suspects. A clerk at that agency stated that the suspects had not yet been given counsel. A message left with supervisor Tonya Tharp, requesting a comment on their behalf, was not returned.
The public defender’s office represents the following suspects:
Joaquin ‘Kino’ Gonzalez, 40, of Emmaus, has been charged with criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, 10 counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver drugs, knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, five counts of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, and criminal use of a communication facility.
Danny Cancel, 25, of Bethlehem, faces charges of criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, knowing that property is the profits of an illicit conduct, criminal use of a communication facility, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and conspiracy to possess drugs with the purpose to deliver.
Sally Garcia-Colon, 39, of Emmaus, has been charged with criminal conspiracy; corrupt organizations; conspiring with knowledge that property is proceeds of an illegal act; knowing that property is proceeds of an illegal act; five counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs; and five counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver.
Jorge Marrero-Rodriguez, 60, of Allentown, has been charged with criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, conspiring with knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, three counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, two counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, and four counts of possession.
Jordan Pagan, 37, of Leola, in Lancaster County, is charged with criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, conspiring with knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, three counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, two counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver, and criminal use of a communication facility.
Israel Perez, 45, of Bethlehem, faces charges of criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, conspiring with knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, three counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, three counts of drug possession, and three counts of conspiring to possess drugs.
Hanzel Rivera, 37, of Bethlehem, has been charged with criminal conspiracy; corrupt organizations; conspiring with knowledge that property is proceeds of an illegal act; knowing that property is proceeds of an illegal act; three counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs; six counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver; criminal use of a communication facility; and two counts of drug possession.
These two suspects have private attorneys:
Joel Castro, 41, of Orefield, faces charges of criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, conspiring with knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, criminal use of a communication facility, two counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, two counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver, and two counts of drug possession. His attorney, James Burke, did not immediately return a request for comment.
John Pagan DeJesus, 49, of Whitehall, faces charges of criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, conspiring with knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, two counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, two counts of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, and two counts of drug possession. His attorney, Eric Dowdle, stated that it is too early to comment because he is gathering facts.
“We look forward to getting to the bottom of it,” Dowdle stated.
Anthony Planas, 42, of Bethlehem, has not yet been arraigned, according to online court records. He is charged with criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, conspiring with knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act, possession with intent to deliver drugs, conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to deliver, and criminal use of a communication device. Attempts to contact him were futile.
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