AG: Florida gang member sentenced in massive cartel-fueled drug ring

FLORIDA — A member of a criminal gang has been sentenced for his role in a massive Florida drug trafficking operation, Attorney General Ashley Moody has announced.

Circuit Judge James D. Sloan sentenced Latin King gang member Johnny Cisnero to 25 years in prison for participating in a drug-trafficking organization, Ms Moody said.

According to the AG’s office, the operation trafficked dangerous drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, from the Mexican Cartel to Sur-13 gang members in Florida prisons. Mr Cisnero reportedly bought drugs from the SUR-13 members to be trafficked throughout Hendry County.

Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Cisnero with two counts of conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine over 200 grams.

Cisnero is the first to be sentenced out of 25 defendants alleged to be involved with the drug ring.

“In this case, authorities seized enough fentanyl to kill more than 11 million Floridians,” said Ms Moody.

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

Reportedly, 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.

According to the AG’s office, using contraband cellphones, members of SUR-13 contacted each other from different prisons throughout the state, including Brevard, Charlotte, Holmes, and Miami-Dade counties.

Gang members also allegedly kept contact with area drug dealers outside the prisons to facilitate drug shipments and deliveries. Mr Cisnero was one of the drug dealers operating outside of the prison trafficking drugs, primarily methamphetamine, said Moody.

Throughout the investigation, authorities said they seized more than 50 pounds, or 23.59 kilograms, of fentanyl, 380 pounds, or 172.37 kilograms, of methamphetamines, and approximately five pounds, or 2.2 kilograms, of cocaine.

Other defendants include: 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; 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.

These defendants are awaiting trial.

Attorney General Moody’s Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Tim Donnelly and Agnieszka Thomas prosecuted the case.