‘Misplaced’ cocaine worth $1.7 million caught by fisherman off Florida coast, cops say

A stash of cocaine with a street value of approximately $1.7 million was caught by a fisherman off the east coast of Florida, and even a sheriff’s office can’t resist posting jokes at the drug dealer’s expense.

The odd find was made in the Atlantic Ocean, about 15 nautical miles off Cape Canaveral, and was handed over to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office when the angler returned to shore.

“If you happened to have lost or misplaced approximately 25 kilos of cocaine and would like to have your property returned ... we will be more than happy to reunite you with your lost property!” Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey wrote in a Dec. 9 Facebook post.

“All of us at one point or another in our lives have lost or misplaced something important and are always hopeful that a good Samaritan or an incredibly kind person will find our lost item and do the right thing. ... At the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office we always strive to do the right thing.”

Ivey suggests the 55 pounds of cocaine “inadvertently fell of the back of someone’s boat as they were apparently enjoying a leisurely stroll along the beautiful coastline.”

The cocaine was stored in watertight packages, each “brilliantly branded by the cartel for marketing purposes with a very gnarly looking scorpion.”

“That makes them easily identifiable and ready to be reclaimed!” Ivey said.

“All we need you to do is come down to our Criminal Investigative Services ... and claim your property with absolutely no strings attached! ... Once we properly identify you as the rightful owner we will gladly return your property and also make sure that both you and your property are kept in a secure area so that no one can try to rip you off!”

That secure location is, of course, the county jail, he added.

Investigators did not identify the angler who found the cocaine, but noted the boat first contacted the U.S. Coast Guard. A USCG crew was not available to pick up the drugs, so the angler brought them to a dock for county deputies to pick up, officials said.

Cape Canaveral is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Orlando.

This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 9:39 AM with the headline "‘Misplaced’ cocaine worth $1.7 million caught by fisherman off Florida coast, cops say."