Tampa mayor Jane Castor was just hoping to catch some spiny lobster in the Florida Keys on her vacation last month. She ended up landing something a lot more valuable.
Castor, a former police chief who spent nearly 30 years in the Tampa Police Department, including eight in narcotics, hauled in a package containing 70 pounds of cocaine. The microwave-sized bundle had an estimated street value of $1.1 million.
Castor’s brother was the first to spot the package floating in the water. The mayor, when she got a better look, identified it as cocaine. After saving the location of their discovery on her watch, she and her family headed back to shore, contacting the Sheriff’s Office as they reached the no-wake zone.
They were soon joined by two federal agents, who took the package away.
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. #miami #florida #drugbust #Mondaymorning pic.twitter.com/etaiuwXrcK
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) July 24, 2023
This was the fifth load of drugs found floating off the Florida Keys coast in July. Other discoveries by recreational boaters include a 3-pound bail of marijuana, an 87-pound bundle of hashish and 62 bricks of cocaine, each weighing one pound or so (seemingly from a different source than the ones Castor found, if the pictures on the packages are any indication).
Castor, a Democrat in her first term, and her family made their way back out into the waters of the Keys after their discovery to do more fishing. Their haul did not include any more drugs, but they did go home with 60 lobsters.