Good Samaritan Reports 50-Pound Bale Of Marijuana Floating Offshore Florida

A good Samaritan alerted authorities to a bale of suspected drugs floating approximately 13 miles offshore Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard Station Panama City said they were notified shortly after 1 p.m. on June 26 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation Commission (FWC) that a possible narcotics bale had been found floating about 13 miles south of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Thanks to the timely report from a vigilant Good Samaritan, the responding duty crew was able to quickly locate and safely recover the suspected bale from the water,” the Coast Guard said. Photos show a Coast Guard boat crew pulling a large, plastic-wrapped bale out of the water.

Testing confirmed the package contained approximately 50 pounds of marijuana.

“We want to extend our sincere appreciation to the Good Samaritan whose actions helped remove illegal narcotics from our waters. This case demonstrates the critical role the public plays in maritime safety and security,” the Coast Guard said.

Officials said anyone who encounters a suspected narcotics bale should not handle it or attempt to recover it, and should instead note its location or GPS coordinates and alert authorities.

“Do NOT touch or attempt to recover the package,” the Coast Guard said. “These bales may contain unknown or hazardous substances and should be handled only by trained law enforcement personnel.”