TAMPA, FLORIDA: An ordinary fishing expedition off the Florida Keys turned into a major drug bust for the mayor of Tampa, Florida. Mayor Jane Castor, a former Tampa police officer who was the city's first female police chief, stumbled upon the unexpected and substantial discovery on her vacation.
Castor spotted the package, containing approximately 70 pounds of cocaine, adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. The extraordinary find occurred on July 23 during a family fishing trip. The package, enveloped in layers of plastic, was promptly identified as cocaine by Castor. The city's spokesperson, Adam Smith, confirmed this revelation on Tuesday, August 8.
The discovery, reported in the Tampa Bay Times, was further verified by Smith when he shared a post from the US Border Patrol on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
The post showcased the sizable cache of cocaine, emphasizing its recovery by a recreational boater in the Florida Keys. According to the Border Patrol's post, the estimated street value of the confiscated drugs was $1.1 million.
Package was approximately as big as a microwave oven
After Castor's observation about the cocaine-laden package, her family retrieved it onto their boat. She described the package, saying it was approximately the size of a microwave oven, and noted that it contained tightly packed bricks of cocaine, as revealed by a tear in the wrapping.
The discovery occurred off the coast of Marathon, situated in the Middle Keys. "Take a look at that," remarked Kelly Castor, a 61-year-old boating enthusiast, as the package drew nearer.
Responding to her brother's observation, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, endowed with the confidence that stems from her three-decade tenure in the Tampa Police Department, including notable periods of about eight years in narcotics and six as police chief, calmly identified the object, stating, "Cocaine."
Subsequently, Castor engaged with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office before the package was handed over to federal agents.
In a cherished tradition spanning almost a decade, Castor had embarked on her family's annual trip, venturing southward to partake in the hunt for spiny lobster.
The lobster hunt is locally known as the "mini-season," as recreational boaters take part in the abbreviated harvest that transpires in late July. Accompanying Castor on the trip were family members, including her son and brother.
Cocaine bricks are often found drifting off Florida coast
Instances of cocaine drifting in the waters off Florida are not unprecedented, as authorities have attested.
A recent occurrence involved a benevolent individual discovering a floating brick of cocaine weighing around 2.7 pounds while boating near the Florida Keys.
Back in May 2023, a sizable bundle of cocaine, weighing approximately 41 pounds, was found afloat near Islamorada.
Before that, in May 2021, over 30 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over $1 million, was confiscated after washing ashore at the Cape Canaveral Space Station.
