U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Philadelphia have arrested a Jamaican national with a profound drug trafficking conviction.
Avon Shuttleworth, 51, was taken into ICE custody on August 18. Shuttleworth was previously convicted in New York federal court of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Court records show he was sentenced to four years in prison for the felony offense, underscoring the seriousness of his criminal history.
Authorities confirmed that Shuttleworth is a criminal alien who had been residing unlawfully in the United States. His drug trafficking conviction placed him on ICE’s “Worst of the Worst” list, a compilation of foreign nationals with serious felony records prioritized for removal. According to officials, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations identified Shuttleworth for targeted arrest after confirming his prior convictions and immigration violations.
The agency emphasized that Shuttleworth’s case represents exactly the type of individual it seeks to remove from U.S. communities. Federal records show cocaine trafficking offenses carry mandatory prison time due to the high risk posed by narcotics distribution. Shuttleworth’s prior conviction involving more than half a kilogram of cocaine qualified as a major trafficking crime, which made his arrest a priority for ICE officers in Philadelphia.
Once his immigration proceedings are completed, Shuttleworth is expected to be deported to Jamaica. Until then, he will remain in ICE custody. Officials said the arrest ensures that a convicted drug trafficker who entered and remained in the country unlawfully is no longer at large.
ICE has stressed that removing criminal aliens with dangerous felony convictions, including narcotics trafficking, remains one of its top enforcement priorities nationwide.
