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A "good samaritan" has turned in roughly 50 lbs. of "suspected cocaine" in Florida
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office announced that the mariner discovered the packages five miles south of Islamorada in the Florida Keys
The packages have since been turned over to federal authorities
A person in Florida stumbled on what authorities believe to be 50 lbs. of cocaine floating off the coast of a local village.
On Friday, Aug. 1, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office announced that a "good samaritan," who was identified as a mariner, found the 23 kilograms — or roughly 50 lbs. — of "suspected cocaine" five miles south of Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Both the U.S. Customs Border and Protection and the MCSO then brought the packages ashore before turning them over to federal authorities, according to the MCSO.
The MCSO also shared an image to social media of the taped-up packages, which were shaped like bricks, sitting on a dock. There appeared to be roughly 20 packages in total, with certain portions blurred out for the sake of the Facebook post.
The identity of the mariner who discovered the suspected cocaine packages has not been released publicly.
When reached for comment on Sunday, Aug. 3, the MCSO directed PEOPLE to U.S. Customs Border and Protection. Contacts for the CBP did not immediately respond to a request for further information.
According to its website, Islamorada is home to perhaps the "world's highest density of professional offshore and backcountry charter boats" with tournament-grade captains. Both backcountry sport fishing and saltwater fly fishing were pioneered in the village of islands as well, per its site.
This is not the first time drugs have been handed in to the MCSO in recent years. In early July, the office shared an image to Facebook of a package containing what it believed to be 1.3 kilograms — or nearly three pounds — of suspected cocaine discovered near Mile Marker 79.5. The package featured an image from the 2000 film Gladiator.
Last year, a lobster diver discovered a package of what was believed to be cocaine roughly one mile offshore of the community of Tavernier, per CBS12. A photo shared by the MCSO at the time showed an illustration of a rabbit scull with the word "Bunny" written underneath it, prominently displayed on the packaging.
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Elsewhere in the state, the Walton County Sheriff's Office announced on X in late June that a beachgoer found nearly $500,000 of cocaine washed up on a local beach. The 25 kilos of drugs were packaged with an image of Yosemite Sam, with authorities encouraging locals to avoid touching any "suspicious packages."
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