The Nassau County Sheriff's Office on Friday announced it recovered nearly $1 million worth of cocaine that washed up on a Florida beach bearing the same bald eagle labels as a batch found by boaters in the Florida Keys last weekend.
The sheriff's office said a "watchful citizen" saw the suspicious packages that washed ashore on the south end of Amelia Island, in the northeastern corner of the state north of Jacksonville, shortly before 6:30 a.m. Friday and reported the discovery.
The Nassau County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit secured the area and seized a total of 71.4 pounds of cocaine, valued at nearly $1 million.
"This significant seizure demonstrates the importance of community vigilance and cooperation with law enforcement. We're grateful for the alert resident who reported this discovery. Our team is working diligently to trace the source of these drugs and keep our communities safe," Sheriff Bill Leeper said in a statement.
The sheriff's office said the origin of the drugs is unknown, and remains under investigation. Photos show the cocaine wrapped in individual packages labeled with a bald eagle.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said recreational boaters in the Florida Keys found around 65 pounds of cocaine floating about seven miles off the ocean side of Islamorada at around noon on Saturday, June 15. The cocaine was in individually wrapped packages featuring the same bald eagle label. That seizure was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.
--with reporting by TMX
