An Allentown man, Angel F. Gil, 32, has been arrested following the seizure of an extensive cache of drugs and firearms, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday declared on Thursday. In a crackdown that netted more than six kilograms of cocaine and a collection of weapons, including a ghost gun, Gil now faces charges of felony drug-trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms, as reported by 6abc.
Gil, beset with prior convictions for similar offenses, was taken into custody after a carefully orchestrated operation by state agents backed by local police departments. According to a 6abc report, officials had been eyeing Gil as a significant player in the cocaine trade across Lehigh and Northampton counties. The investigation ultimately led to the execution of two search warrants at residences linked to him—one on Greenleaf Street in Allentown and another on Bangor Road in Nazareth.
Detailed in a statement, officers rummaging through these locations unearthed three handguns, a kilogram of cocaine, and a wad of cash. The vehicles associated with Gil further revealed a hidden trove consisting of five more kilograms of cocaine and over $35,000 concealed within a "well-concealed in a trap console," according to The Morning Call.
"I am pleased to inform Lehigh Valley residents that a dangerous, high-level cocaine trafficker has been charged and taken off the street," AG Sunday expressed in a release cited by Lehigh Valley News. Noting the defendant's repeat offender status and arsenal of weapons, the Attorney General underscored the threat Gil posed to the community. The collaborative effort included assistance from the Allentown, Emmaus police, and the Slate Belt Regional Police Department.
Now incarcerated in Lehigh County Jail, unable to post the $500,000 bail set, Gil faces a battle in the courts where his case is to be prosecuted by the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office. As of the recent update, his legal representation status remains uncertain, with the Lehigh County Public Defender's Office indicating no assignment to his case yet, as per Lehigh Valley News.
