Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officer, Bobby Dube, poses with a bag of floating marijuana found floating just offshore of the Keys. Photo: FWC
In a span of 27 days, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, recorded the seizure of nearly 400 pounds of marijuana found floating off the coast of Florida.
Between September 15 and October 12 fifteen separate drug seizure events have occurred in various parts of the Florida Keys and East Florida coastline, explained CBP in a press release.
“There has been a significant spike in drugs washing up on shore,” said U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector Division Chief, Todd Bryant. “This is at least partially attributable to improved partnerships across the state but potentially also to a shift in smuggling methods.”
The drugs seized in that 27 day span reportedly have a street value of more than $300-thousand.
CBP also reports they’ve seen a notable increase in these sorts of seizures, recording 95 in 2016 – up from 49 in 2015.
Chief Bryant was emphatic about notifying local law enforcement in the event of discovering a suspicious package on a boat or on the beach. “Attempting to keep the suspicious package can place you in danger, as violent criminal networks will attempt to recover their narcotics,” he said.
