Hoping for a memorable fish tale from her recent expedition, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor got a story she’d never forget, though not for the seafood.
While indulging in a mahi-mahi fishing trip off the Florida Keys, Mayor Castor and her family stumbled upon an unusual floating package, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
With her rich history spanning thirty years in Tampa’s police force, including a role as the chief and a lengthy stint in narcotics, Castor immediately recognized the suspicious package. It was cocaine.
Once they managed to pull the package, roughly the size of a microwave, onto their boat, a tear in the wrap revealed brick-like structures inside. The U.S. Border Patrol later verified the contents to be an astonishing 70 pounds of cocaine. With an estimated value of $1.1 million, this was certainly not the typical catch of the day.
While Chief Border Patrol Agent Walter Slosar acknowledged the drug haul on July 24 and credited it to a “leisure sailor”, it wasn’t until Tuesday that Mayor Castor’s office unveiled her as the intrepid discoverer.
During that eventful Sunday in late July, Castor smartly marked the exact location where the narcotics were found. After returning to her holiday residence, she immediately informed the sheriff’s office and handed over the suspicious cargo to federal officials, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Interestingly, this was the fifth such discovery of narcotics off the Keys just within that month, as per the Border Patrol’s records.
The waters seem to hide more secrets. Following the July incident, more mysterious packages have surfaced. Just last Sunday, lobster enthusiasts (a hobby Mayor Castor shares) handed over yet another drug-laden parcel to the Border Patrol, a detail confirmed by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.