Heroin and fentanyl worth $8 million seized following Berks arrest of Philadelphia man

Steven Henshaw, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·2 min read

May 2—Fentanyl and heroin with a street value of more than $8 million was seized as a result of a joint investigation by local and federal narcotics officers into the activities of a Philadelphia man whom they accused of distributing large amounts of the drugs in Berks County.

The drug seizures followed the arrest Tuesday of Ramon A. Jimenez-Merejildo, 35, on Route 422 in Exeter Township by a team of investigators who followed him to Berks from his residence in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia, according to Chief Berks County Detective Michael J. Gombar.

Jimenez-Merejildo was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of a total of $600,000 bail to await a hearing following arraignment Tuesday night by District Judge Alvin B. Robinson. Jimenez-Merejildo is charged with possessing, delivering and attempting to deliver heroin and fentanyl.

According to investigators:

The Berks County District Attorney's Drug Task Force and Philadelphia DEA Task Force Group 25 initiated an investigation after Jimenez-Merejildo was identified as an individual selling fentanyl and heroin in Reading and Philadelphia.

Investigators found he was also transporting large amounts of the drugs to Berks for distribution. Undercover investigators made several purchases of fentanyl and heroin from Jimenez-Merejildo.

It was determined that Jimenez-Merejildo was selling this lethal product in Berks and storing it at his residence in the 7100 block of Brous Avenue in Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia task force saw Jimenez-Merejildo leave his residence and begin traveling west toward Berks. Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Jimenez-Merejildo arrived in Exeter and parked in the 5900 block of Perkiomen Avenue, which is Route 422.

After taking him in custody, police found 106 "bricks" of fentanyl/heroin — the equivalent of 5,300 packets — in his vehicle.

Also on Tuesday, members of the Philadelphia task force searched Jimenez-Merejildo's home and seized 257 bricks (12,870 packets) of fentanyl-laced heroin, 7 ounces of bulk fentanyl, drug-packaging equipment and cash totaling $3,407.

As the investigation continued, task force members obtained a search warrant for a second Philadelphia location. There they seized 16,700 packets of fentanyl-laced heroin, 11.5 kilograms (about 405 ounces) of bulk fentanyl and heroin, along with packaging materials.