Sarasota’s undercover operation that targeted violent gun offenders is wrapping up – WTSP
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
SPD
In August 2024, the Sarasota Police Department launched Operation S.U.R.G.E. III — Sarasota Unified Reduction Gun Crimes Enforcement — a joint operation with our Strategic Investigations Unit, Community Action Team, and federal agents from the ATF.
This nine-month investigation was created to aggressively combat violent crime, particularly gun-related offenses, and to disrupt the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics in the City of Sarasota.
Throughout the operation, undercover detectives, working with confidential sources, conducted nearly 100 planned operations.
As a result:
43 firearms were recovered, including
15 that were confirmed stolen, and
10 linked to shootings from Sarasota to St. Petersburg.
Some of these guns were recovered just hours after being reported stolen.
In addition to weapons, we seized large quantities of illegal narcotics:
44 pounds of marijuana
1.27 pounds of cocaine
6.6 pounds of THC wax
8.7 ounces of methamphetamine
as well as fentanyl, heroin, mushrooms, MDMA, and hundreds of illegal prescription pills
We identified 42 suspects connected to 183 felony charges, with a combined 188 prior felony convictions.
To date, 39 have been arrested, and we continue to work to locate the remaining individuals.
Operations like S.U.R.G.E. are high-risk. Our officers routinely faced dangerous, armed felons in volatile situations. Their professionalism, courage, and commitment to community safety were nothing short of extraordinary.
“Let us be clear:
If you are illegally carrying a gun in Sarasota — especially as a convicted felon or while on probation —
You will be identified. You will be investigated. You will be held accountable. said Chief Troche.
Thank you to our community and law enforcement partners and the State Attorneys Office and @atfhq for your continued support.
Together, we are building a safer Sarasota.
