Last week the U.S. Coast Guard seized what it deemed to be a whopping $1.4 billion worth of cocaine and weed — a haul that officials hailed as the largest drug bust in the branch's history. More than 60,000 pounds of illegal drugs were confiscated from traffickers in the Caribbean and in the Pacific off Mexico, Central America, and South America and then unloaded at Port Everglades on August 5. Florida has long served as a popular entry point for drug cartels from South and Central America. Over the years, illegal drugs — lots of them — have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. Bales of drugs have also notoriously washed up on the state's beaches from time to time. From a sea turtle entangled in cocaine to a Good Samaritan snorkeler, here are four of the strangest drug-recovery stories off the Florida coast. click to enlarge  Coast guard members work to free the entangled turtle from the bundles of drugs. Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Narco TurtleIn November 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard seized roughly $53 million worth of cocaine in the ocean near Key West from a giant sea turtle. The turtle was trapped amid the bundles of drugs and believed to be completely innocent, and not some reptilian Walter White. The Coast Guard crew found the turtle in the ocean during a two-month counter-drug mission in the eastern Pacific, according to NBC News. Crew members reported seeing "significant chafing" on the turtle's neck and flippers from the fishing lines. They eventually freed the creature after cutting it loose from the fishing lines. And, of course, confiscating the drugs. — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) September 24, 2019 Cocaine SubmarineA dramatic video shot by the Jacksonville-based Coast Guard shows a high-speed chase that ended with crew members hopping atop a coke-filled submarine. A crew was patrolling the eastern Pacific in 2019 when it nabbed the 40-foot submarine headed to the U.S. with about 12,000 pounds of cocaine said to be worth more than $165 million. The narco sub was discovered by maritime patrol aircraft, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release. The four suspected smugglers aboard were arrested. The drugs were eventually unloaded at the Miami Coast Guard station off the MacArthur Causeway.
White ChristmasIt hasn't snowed in South Florida since 1977, but the 2019 holiday season seemed especially white after a fisherman discovered roughly 74 pounds of cocaine floating off the Lower Keys. Police with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office recovered the drugs after receiving a call from the man, who spotted the packages while boating near Sugarloaf Key, according to the Miami Herald. Because the packages were found in federal waters, they were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.
Snorkeling Samaritan A snorkeler was swimming off the coast of the Florida Keys when he stumbled across more than $1.5 million worth of cocaine.
Authorities in Florida are praising the work of a police K-9 after he helped in a major meth bust. The Florida Highway Patrol in Orlando shared a photo this week of K-9 Rico standing with several bags of methamphetamine that they say were seized in a recent search. The department reported that Rico sniffed out 45 pounds of the illegal drug with a street value of $1.5 million. Read More
Crime July 16, 2022 / 4:13 PM / CBS News The rapper Kodak Black has been arrested in Florida and charged with drug offenses, authorities said Friday. The arrest came at approximately 4:30 p.m., when troopers saw a purple Dodge Durango with window tints that appeared to be darker than legally allowed, and an expired registration, Florida's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said in a statement. When they stopped the vehicle, troopers encountered the "strong odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle's interior," the statement said. Upon searching the Durango, troopers found a bag with 31 white tablets, which they later identified as oxycodone. More than $74,000 in cash was also found in the car, authorities said. The driver was identified as 25-year-old Bill K. Kapri, who performs under the name Kodak Black. Kapri, whose license was found to have expired more than 30 days ago, was arrested and taken to the Broward County Jail. Kapri was charged with trafficking in oxycodone and possession of a controlled substance, The Associated Press reported. Kapri's attorney asked the public on Twitter to "Never Judge a case based on an arrest," writing that, "There are always additional facts and circumstances that give rise to a defense, especially in this case." "We will get him a bond today and move forward with resolving the matter quickly," his attorney said. Kapri is slated to perform at Miami's Rolling Loud festival on July 24. This is not the first time Kapri has been arrested. In 2019, he was arrested on weapons and drug charges while trying to enter the U.S. from Canada. Later that year, he pleaded guilty to a separate set of charges and was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for knowingly making a false and fictitious written statement in order to "unlawfully acquire firearms." Former President Donald Trump commuted his sentence in January 2021. Kapri was also arrested on trespassing charges earlier this year, but prosecutors declined to move forward with the case, according to The Associated Press. Victoria Albert
Victoria Albert is a Sr. News Editor at CBS News. Reach her at Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue |
Recent drug bust in florida 2023
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