Federal authorities have launched the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, aiming to dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that contribute to fentanyl overdoses, violence, human trafficking, and other crimes in Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
The initiative is part of a broader Department of Justice campaign following an executive order from the President and a directive from the Attorney General to establish similar task forces nationwide. The HSTF in Philadelphia will coordinate efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to target criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, gun violence, and human smuggling.
“Transnational gangs bring fentanyl, violence, and human misery into Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania. Let me be clear: they will find no safe harbor here,” said U.S Attorney David Metcalf. “My office will use every federal statute, every investigative tool, and every ounce of our authority to prosecute them, dismantle their networks, and put their leaders behind bars for as long as the law allows.”
The task force is jointly led by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI with support from agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Recent prosecutions highlight ongoing efforts against TCOs:
- Humberto Gutierrez-Orozco was charged with trafficking over $10 million worth of cocaine after being apprehended during a covert operation involving 440 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a tractor-trailer.
- Four individuals—Victor Bueno-Fermin, Yesenia Duarte-Paulina, Jose Rondon, and Manuel Antonio Sanchez-Santos—were indicted on charges related to trafficking large quantities of fentanyl or heroin following coordinated raids in North and Northeast Philadelphia.
- Francis Rondon-Caceras is accused of leading a group that distributed millions of dollars’ worth of fentanyl throughout Pennsylvania. The organization allegedly processed bulk fentanyl mixed with substances like xylazine to increase profits. Seven others were also charged in this case.
Each defendant faces potential life sentences if convicted; all are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf emphasized that HSTF Philadelphia aims not only at prosecution but also at community protection: “Our neighborhoods deserve to be free from the grip of cartels and gangs that traffic in drugs, guns, and people,” he said. “HSTF Philadelphia is about more than prosecutions — it’s about protecting families, restoring safety, and ensuring that no community in our district is left vulnerable to the reach of transnational criminal organizations.”
The HSTF operates under Executive Order 14159 (“Protecting the American People Against Invasion”) as part of a national strategy to address threats posed by foreign criminal groups through interagency collaboration focused on investigating crimes including child trafficking.
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