A good samaritan turned over 20 bricks of cocaine that washed up on a Florida beach over the weekend to local authorities, who turned them over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
According to Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar, the beachgoer discovered 20 bricks of cocaine on Vero Beach. Officials announced that the cocaine weighs around 57 Ibs and has an estimated street value of about $700,000.
???? ?????, ??: Over the weekend, a Good Sam. discovered 20 bricks (57 lbs) of cocaine washed-up on the beach. Local authorities responded & turned the drugs over to #BorderPatrol custody. The drugs have an estimated street value of nearly $700,000.#Florida #Monday pic.twitter.com/5l8TyJYWBA
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) April 24, 2023
There have been several reports of cocaine packages washing up on Florida beaches.
Early April, Walton County Sheriff officials received a report about packages of cocaine that washed up three Walton County beaches in the Florida Panhandle: Miramar Beach, Gulfview Heights and Grayton Beach State Park.
The first package arrived at Miramar Beach on April 3. According to Walton County Sheriff’s Office, a beachgoer disinterred the drugs in a Ziploc bag wrapped in clear plastic. WCSO sent the cocaine to evidence for destruction.
The same day, officers were summoned to Gulfview Heights (near Ed Walline beach access) because of a reported suspicious package on the beach, which the caller told police appeared to be a brick of cocaine.
The package was wrapped in a black bio bag and included a logo sticker on the outside. It tested positive for cocaine and submitted for destruction.
The last package arrived on a Tuesday morning at Grayton Beach State Park. Officials handled the situation the same way they did the other drugs. WCSO notified the Coast Guard of the instances.
Officials estimated the cocaine packages found on the Walton County beaches cost over $100,000.
Although cocaine has a high price tag, officials encourage those who discover suspicious packages (whether drugs or not) on beaches or in public to avoid opening or retrieving those items. Immediately call local authorities and wait for them to arrive.
