Criminal gang began as a prison gang in Southern California in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has arrested a Kissimmee man, the final outstanding suspect in Operation 13 Tiers, a multi‑year drug‑trafficking investigation targeting members of the SUR 13 criminal gang.
Efren Berumen, 42, was taken into custody on Feb. 7 in Osceola County for charges of conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, trafficking in methamphetamine, conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and trafficking in fentanyl.
The investigation that began in July 2021 revealed individuals associated with the SUR 13 gang were trafficking narcotics, including fentanyl, across Southwest Florida. The gang leader and state prison inmate, Carlos Martinez, orchestrated the trafficking of narcotics across the country.
In 2022, as a result of the investigation, arrest warrants were filed for Martinez and 23 of his co-conspirators on charges including conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering and various drug trafficking charges. Berumen, identified as the 25th suspect in the case, was noted as being the final gang member at large in 2022. FDLE agents pursue leads that ultimately located Berumen in Kissimmee. With assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, agents arrested him on Feb. 7. He is being held in the Osceola County Jail until his extradition to Hendry County.
The SUR13 gang, also known as the Surenos, began as a prison gang in Southern California in the 1960s and 1970s.
FDLE members from the Fort Myers, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Pensacola and Tallahassee regional operations centers contributed more than 10,000 investigative hours to Operation 13 Tiers. The investigation resulted in the seizure of 380 pounds of methamphetamine, 48 pounds of fentanyl and more than 50 firearms.
The success of Operation 13 Tiers was significant in the implementation of the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (S.A.F.E.) grant program. Since it began in 2023, the S.A.F.E. program has led to the seizure of more than 560 pounds of fentanyl across Florida.
