Key Largo boater sees apparent piece of trash in water, turns out to be cocaine

KEY LARGO, Fla. ā€“ A marine researcher on the water spotted a brick of cocaine floating off Key Largo Monday morning.

Monroe County deputies and agents with the U.S. Border Patrol responded to a marine research complex to recover the 3-pound brick, found off the Atlantic side of the key

The researcher reportedly thought it was a piece of trash before bringing it aboard their boat.

Authorities are investigating to see whether itā€™s connected to multiple large bundles found bobbing in the water off the coast of Islamorada in early May.

They recovered 41 pounds of cocaine then. Both that batch and Mondayā€™s find all had distinctive ā€œ2024ā€³ markings on the wrapper.

In total, all of the drugs had a street value of more than $700,000.

ā€œWe just continue to encourage the community members, recreational boaters, whoeverā€™s out on the water, if you find something washed up on the beach ā€” see something, say something,ā€ Border Patrol spokesperson Adam Hoffner said.

Officials with the Border Patrol encourage residents to report suspicious activity by calling 877-772-8146.


About the Author:

Janine Stanwood joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor. She is now a general assignment reporter. Before moving to South Florida from her Washington home, Janine was the senior legislative correspondent for a United States senator on Capitol Hill.