Florida Man Turns In 50 Pounds Of Cocaine He Discovered Floating In The Ocean

A Florida boater stumbled upon the plot of a Netflix cartel drama—23 tightly wrapped bricks of suspected cocaine bobbing five miles off Islamorada—and, in a shocking twist, didn’t grab them and speed away. Instead, he called the cops, according to the Daily Mail.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says the mystery mariner found over 50 pounds of black brick-shaped packages drifting in turquoise waters on Thursday. Deputies, with help from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, hauled the 23 kilos ashore. The stash was turned over to federal agents, who are now testing it, though officials are pretty confident it’s cocaine.

Photos show the “party favors” floating serenely before being scooped up by law enforcement. Whether the Good Samaritan will get a reward—or just bragging rights—is unclear.

The Daily Mail writes that holding onto cartel-marked cocaine isn’t just reckless; it’s a legal time bomb. “It should go without saying that retaining possession of (a washed-up block of drugs) is an incredibly bad idea…” Florida law firm Perlet & Shiner warned, noting that keeping a $100,000 brick could mean “grand theft in the first degree, which can carry up to 30 years in prison, plus significant fines.”

The Keys are no stranger to “blow bales.” Just weeks ago, a Panhandle beachgoer stumbled across $500,000 worth of cocaine. Last year alone, authorities recovered over 180 pounds statewide, from floating bricks near Key West to stashes buried in Volusia County sand. Smugglers often dump cargo when chased by law enforcement, letting the currents—and occasionally storms like Hurricane Debby—deliver it ashore.

It’s not just a human problem, either. Scientists have even raised concerns that dumped cocaine could be affecting Florida’s marine life—yes, including sharks. Which is one more reason to leave floating cartel care packages to the professionals.