In a shocking turn of events, the Tampa Mayor made a startling discovery while enjoying a peaceful fishing trip. Unbeknownst to her, the leisurely activity took an unexpected twist when he stumbled upon an astonishing find – 70 pounds of coke!
During the Florida Keys with her family, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor reeled in unexpected drugs estimated to be worth more than $1 million. Castor, who previously served as Tampa’s police chief, said the big load appeared to have been floating in the water for a while already when she found it… CBS affiliate WTSP reported.
While speaking to the station, Castor joked, “You know my family was concerned, like, ‘Oh my gosh, what if they think it’s ours? I’m like, come on. So, we pulled it up and then as soon as we were in cellphone range just to call and notify them.”
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Speaking more about the wild sight of Cocaine, Castor told CBS Miami that it was her brother who first spotted it out while fishing.
“My younger brother saw some debris in the water, and so we went over there because, quite often, if you fish, the smaller fish will go under any kind of shade they can get. That attracts the larger fish, like triple tail,” the mayor said, according to the station. “We thought it was shade as opposed to something shady. But, you know, the closer we got and once I saw the rip in it and see the tightly wrapped packages, I was like definitely that’s a bale of cocaine.”
So what happened next? Well, the mayor reported her family’s discovery to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. From there, the drugs were ultimately seized by federal agents. Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar, of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Miami Sector, confirmed the news.
“Over the weekend, Border Patrol agents in the Miami Sector seized 70 lbs. of cocaine that was discovered by a recreational boater in the #FloridaKeys. The drugs have an estimated street value of approx. 1.1 million dollars,” the statement about the July findings read.
Of course, this is not the first time cocaine bales with high street values had washed ashore… especially in Florida. Back in April, packages of cocaine worth more than $100,000 were discovered on not one but three different beaches in Walton County, from Destin and Panama City Beach along the Florida panhandle, authorities said at the time. Each of those packages had a different design, with one appearing to mimic the Chanel brand logo, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
Despite that, this latest incident has still sent shockwaves through the community,l. The Mayor’s accidental discovery highlights the pervasive nature of illegal activities that can infiltrate even the most unsuspecting settings.
The Tampa Mayor’s accidental find serves as a stark reminder that no place is immune to criminal activities. It underscores the need for continued vigilance and collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies and community members to combat drug-related issues effectively.