Boaters find over $1 million of cocaine — packaged with bald eagle designs — floating at sea off Florida Keys
Recreational boaters off the coast of the Florida Keys found 65 pounds of cocaine floating in the ocean, authorities said this week, marking yet another recent discovery of drugs in U.S. waters and shores.
Samuel Briggs II, the acting chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol, said the cocaine has an estimated street value of over $1 million. Briggs posted video on social media Monday night showing the wrapped packages of cocaine being wheeled away on a dolly.
Recreational boater in the Florida Keys discovers 65 lbs. of cocaine floating at sea. The cocaine has an estimated street value of over $1 million & will be seized by the U.S. #BorderPatrol. We appreciate the support from Good Samaritan’s in our community.#floridakeys #drugs pic.twitter.com/g2hQYhLATG
— Samuel Briggs II (@USBPChiefMIP) June 18, 2024
In a separate social media post, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said that "mariners in a private vessel found a package containing approximately 21 individually wrapped kilograms of suspected cocaine." Officials said the drugs, which were found in the water about 7 miles off Islamorada, Florida, on Saturday, were handed over to U.S. Border Patrol agents.
A photo released by the sheriff's office showed a package of the suspected cocaine emblazoned with an image of a bald eagle.
Earlier this month, divers found 25 kilograms of cocaine about 100 feet underwater off Key West. Images released by the sheriff's office showed packages marked "Nike SB," with imitations of the footwear brand's iconic swoosh logo on the front. The very next day, the same amount of suspected cocaine was found washed up on Dauphin Island, Alabama.
Last month, a beachgoer found about $1 million worth of cocaine washed up along the Florida Keys, CBS News Miami reported. U.S. Border Patrol agents said that package contained 65 pounds of cocaine.
Drug traffickers routinely transport cocaine through the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico using a variety of vessels — and sometimes the packages are marked with distinctive designs.
In January, the Colombian navy seized a so-called narco sub loaded with more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, and many of the parcels featured an insignia of a scorpion.
In 2023, packages of cocaine worth more than $100,000 washed up on several Florida beaches. Each package was marked with a different design, including one that appeared to mimic the Chanel logo.
Also last year, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, while on a fishing trip with her family, reeled in 70 pounds of cocaine. Those bricks of narcotics were emblazoned with butterfly designs.
Colombia produces about 60% of the cocaine found in the world.
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Stephen Smith is a managing editor for CBSNews.com based in New York. A Washington, D.C. native, Steve was previously an editorial producer for the Washington Post, and has also worked in Los Angeles, Boston and Tokyo.
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