Hurricane Debby that made landfall on Florida on Monday, not only brought high winds and torrential rain but also an unexpected discovery- 25 tightly sealed packages of cocaine worth over a staggering $1 million.
“Hurricane Debby blew 25 packages of cocaine (70 lbs.) onto a beach in the Florida Keys,” US Border Patrol acting chief patrol Agent Samuel Briggs II wrote on X.
The valuable stash, which Briggs estimated at over $1 million, was found by a concerned citizen who contacted the authorities, as reported by AFP.
This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred. In July 2023, the mayor of Tampa, Florida, similarly stumbled upon 70 pounds (31.7 kilograms) of cocaine that had washed ashore in the Florida Keys during a vacation.
Debby struck Florida’s northern Big Bend region as a Category One hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm. As the storm’s effects were felt across the state, with the cocaine washing up along the southernmost shores of the Florida Keys.
In addition to bringing cocaine, Debby has killed one person, knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people, and could produce life-threatening storm surges as well as catastrophic flooding.
The Florida Keys, a chain of islands extending from the southern tip of the state, are situated near several Caribbean nations that are key transit points for cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe and North America, including into Florida.
“Hurricane Debby blew 25 packages of cocaine (70 lbs.) onto a beach in the Florida Keys,” US Border Patrol acting chief patrol Agent Samuel Briggs II wrote on X.
The valuable stash, which Briggs estimated at over $1 million, was found by a concerned citizen who contacted the authorities, as reported by AFP.
This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred. In July 2023, the mayor of Tampa, Florida, similarly stumbled upon 70 pounds (31.7 kilograms) of cocaine that had washed ashore in the Florida Keys during a vacation.
Debby struck Florida’s northern Big Bend region as a Category One hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm. As the storm’s effects were felt across the state, with the cocaine washing up along the southernmost shores of the Florida Keys.
In addition to bringing cocaine, Debby has killed one person, knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people, and could produce life-threatening storm surges as well as catastrophic flooding.
The Florida Keys, a chain of islands extending from the southern tip of the state, are situated near several Caribbean nations that are key transit points for cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe and North America, including into Florida.
Source : Times of India
