The long-running hunt for the final suspect in a massive multi-agency drug investigation has finally come to a close. State agents confirmed that Efren Berumen, the 25th and final individual sought in connection with “Operation 13 Tiers,” was taken into custody in Osceola County late last week.
His arrest marks the end of a pursuit that began nearly three years ago, targeting a deep-rooted trafficking network linked to the SUR 13 criminal gang.
Berumen, a 42-year-old resident of Kissimmee, was apprehended on February 7 with the help of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. He now faces heavy charges, including conspiracy to traffic and the actual trafficking of both methamphetamine and fentanyl.
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While he had managed to evade authorities since warrants were first issued in 2022, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agents stayed on the trail, eventually pinning down his location and bringing him into the Osceola County Jail. He is currently awaiting extradition to Hendry County to face trial.
The origins of this investigation date back to July 2021, when investigators began pulling at the threads of a narcotics ring stretching across Southwest Florida. What they found was a sophisticated operation allegedly run by Carlos Martinez.
Despite being an inmate in a state prison, Martinez is accused of orchestrating the movement of drugs across the entire country, using members of the SUR 13 gang—also known as the Surenos—to facilitate the trade. The gang itself has long-standing roots, beginning in the California prison system during the 1960s before expanding its reach nationwide.
The scale of the operation was immense. Over the course of the investigation, FDLE members from five different regional centers logged more than 10,000 hours of work. The sheer volume of contraband pulled off the streets reflects the size of the network: agents seized 380 pounds of methamphetamine, 48 pounds of fentanyl, and upwards of 50 firearms.
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These efforts eventually led to the 2022 indictments of Martinez and 23 others for crimes ranging from racketeering to conspiracy to commit murder. Berumen was the last man left on the list.
Beyond the arrests, the impact of “Operation 13 Tiers” helped shape state policy. The success of the bust provided the groundwork for the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (S.A.F.E.) grant program.
Since that program launched in 2023, it has been credited with the seizure of over 560 pounds of fentanyl throughout Florida. With the final suspect now in the system, the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will take over the legal proceedings to close this chapter of the investigation.
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