Florida may have been lucky when it comes to Hurricane Dorian, but the major storm still had a surprising impact on the Florida coast.
Although Florida dodged the more powerful winds and the devastating flooding that riddled the Bahamas, Dorian still made his presence known with some unusual hitchhikers in his waves.
In the wake of Dorian, cocaine washed up on Florida beaches along the Treasure Coast. The first stash was discovered before the brunt of the storm even hit by a bystander in Melbourne who alerted police immediately. Police confiscated the item and noted its packaging similar to that of narcotics with the word “diamantar” or diamond in Spanish on it. It was tested and came up positive for cocaine.
Over $800,000 Worth of Cocaine Washes Ashore
Since that first suspicious package, police found even more bricks of cocaine along the Florida shores. The second package was discovered in Cocoa Beach. Instead of a single brick, this time a duffle bag of cocaine washed ashore with reportedly 15 bricks of the illegal drug inside. This bag was discovered by another bystander and again reported. Police confiscated the duffle bag for further investigation.
Each brick has been found to have about one kilo of cocaine inside with an estimated worth of around $25,000 each. Together, the two instances led to over $800,000 worth of cocaine being washed on the Florida coast. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the cases, but it is unknown whether the two are related.
How Cocaine Is Smuggled Into Florida
One of the biggest questions following such a strange turn of events is where these bricks of cocaine came from. Although many drugs reportedly cross into the United States at the U.S. Mexico border, drugs can be smuggled into the country at varies places. In more recent years, a pattern of drugs come from Colombia to the Caribbean, like the Bahamas, and then to Florida has been noted.1 From the Spanish packaging to the devastating damage Dorian had on the Bahamas, this drug route is a very probable answer to how the cocaine made its way to the Florida shore.
No matter how illegal drugs make it into the country, it is a problem. Cocaine is a highly addictive substance and those who start to use it often become addicted. Our cocaine treatment in Pompano is designed to help our Florida neighbors stop using this illegal substance and regain control of their lives.
If you or someone you love is looking for addiction rehab in Pompano, let us help. To get started on your recovery and to learn more about our programs at Banyan Pompano, call us today at 888-280-4763.
Sources:
- Sun Sentinel - Shifting drug smuggling routes bring contraband to Florida
