50 Pounds of Fentanyl Seized as Florida Police Bust Sureños-13 Gang Members

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Twenty-five defendants, including SUR-13 gang members, are being with multiple felony counts related to drug trafficking, violent criminal acts, and conspiracy.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) shut down a major drug trafficking organization operated by gang members affiliated with Mexican drug cartels.

According to an investigation by the FDLE, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, members of the SUR-13 gang, also known as Sureños, operated a drug trafficking organization from behind bars.

Authorities seized more than 50 pounds, or 23 kilograms, of fentanyl—enough to kill more than 11 million Floridians, approximately half the state’s population. This case, combined with several other drug busts over the past few months, brings the total amount of fentanyl seized in Florida to nearly 85 pounds.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “In just a few months’ time, authorities have seized enough fentanyl to wipe out the combined populations of 66 of Florida’s 67 counties—more than 19 million people! The prevalence of this dangerous substance poses a critical threat not only to the well-being of the citizens of our state but also to our nation. Until President Biden takes action to address the border crisis that is emboldening Mexican drug cartels to bring record amounts of these dangerous substances across the border—fentanyl will continue to kill tens of thousands of Americans every year.”

Last month, Moody and 17 other attorneys general called on the Biden administration to declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.

“We must not sit idly by until a terrorist chooses to inflict harm using this substance on a large group of Americans – our countrymen are already dying from this poison,” they wrote the president. “We cannot wait for tragedy to strike when proactive steps can be taken now to preserve American lives. We urge you, to take immediate and decisive action and declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction.”

According to the investigation, incarcerated leaders of SUR-13 operated a drug trafficking operation from within Florida prisons. At times, working with fellow gangs MS-13 and the Latin Kings, the criminal organization’s ruling body—called the Mesa—authorized member requests to execute other inmates and continue the distribution of drugs sourced from Mexico and California.

Using contraband cellphones, members of SUR-13 would contact each other from different prisons throughout the state, including Brevard, Charlotte, Holmes, and Miami-Dade counties. Gang members also kept contact with area drug dealers outside the prisons to facilitate drug shipments and deliveries.

Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized more than 50 pounds, or 23.59 kilograms, of fentanyl, 380 pounds, or 172.37 kilograms, of methamphetamines, approximately five pounds, or 2.2 kilograms, of cocaine, approximately one pound, or 566 grams, of oxycodone, one pound, or 453.6 grams, of black tar heroin and a half pound, or 226.8 grams, of morphine.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said, “These suspects were arrested on a combined 64 first-degree felony counts. The violence was often used to protect and further their large drug trafficking operation in southwest Florida. Investigators seized nearly 50 pounds of fentanyl, thousands of fentanyl pills, and hundreds of pounds of methamphetamines. There is no question that lives have been saved in Florida because of this case.”

Moody’s office is charging 25 defendants with 64 total felony counts, including racketeering; trafficking in amphetamine, trafficking in fentanyl; trafficking in cocaine; trafficking in oxycodone; trafficking in illegal drugs, to wit: morphine; conspiracy to commit racketeering; conspiracy to traffic in amphetamine; conspiracy to traffic in fentanyl; conspiracy to traffic in heroin; conspiracy to traffic in cocaine; conspiracy to commit first-degree murder to further the interests of a criminal gang; conspiracy to commit an aggravated battery upon a person who is being detained in a prison, jail or another detention facility to further the interests of a criminal gang; and directing the activities of a criminal gang. Each count is a first-degree felony or higher.

The defendants are: Hugo E. Cruz, aka Houdini; Carlos H. Martinez, aka Carlos Maya-Reyes, aka Indio; Rachel Gonzalez, aka Loka; Adolfo Magana, Jr.; Brayn L. Trejo; Dennis A. Perkins; Reba B. Perkins; Juan Carlos Cruz, aka Spider, aka Arana; Joseph W. Whitehead, Jr.; Juan S. Guijosa, Jr.; Omar Hernandez; Valentin Gomez; Esmeralda Guevara; Andres Bustamante; Johnny Cisnero; Franklin Guillen Lara; Jose Francisco Ramirez, aka Chico; Ruben Quinones, aka Yago; Efren Berumen, aka Brownie, aka Brown Aguila; Jonathan Martinez aka J-Blue; Stephanie Martinez, aka Lady Blue; Thomas E. Busby, II, aka Gutta; Mary Osorio; Jose F. Martinez, aka Guapo; Gregory Enegess, aka Poet.

Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden said, “We may be a smaller agency in comparison to some, but we have a staff that I will stand next to any large agency and be confident in their abilities. My narcotics unit is exceptionally adept at targeting major drug traffickers. When you couple that with the assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Office of Attorney General Ashley Moody, we become a powerful force in combating drug dealers as witnessed in this operation that began in Hendry County. The criminal element needs to understand; if they set up in Hendry County, we will find them and eliminate them.”

Sources  The Center Square, Tampa Free Press