Tampa Mayor Finds $1.1 Million In Cocaine While Fishing Off The Keys
City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was out fishing with her family off the Florida Keys when they came across a “square grouper” i.e., cocaine.
The Mayor called us and explained the incident that happened in late July. It was crazy! She was out fishing for mahi mahi with her family. They noticed the “square grouper,” brought it aboard their vessel, and sure enough, it appeared to be cocaine.
Mayor Castor worked narcotics for years in Tampa, both as a detective and a supervisor, so she had her suspicions before it was confirmed to be cocaine. She contacted Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Once docked they were met by a Monroe County police officer. Shortly after, two federal agents arrived.
Castor described what it was like as she and her family docked and then met with authorities. It was somewhat comical because apparently, when you fish for mahi, the fish bleed a lot. So it was a crazy scene as the authorities see blood (albeit fish blood) and drugs on the boat. The package was examined. And they confirmed it was seventy pounds of 1.1 million dollars’ worth of cocaine (street value).
Castor described her feelings to us on the MJ Morning Show, explaining her family felt a little nervous, but she said she, “didn’t think the cartel was going to come after it.”
Square Grouper Discoveries In July
Apparently, boaters discovering bags of drugs floating in the ocean was not an uncommon occurrence this summer. At least five discoveries during the month of July.
A Miami Border Patrol agent posted a picture of the drugs on Twitter. There were 25 bricks of cocaine. There were wrapped in packaging designed with a purple butterfly.
What a crazy fishing adventure! The Tampa Mayor was just enjoying the water and fishing for mahi-mahi and spotted the square grouper (cocaine).
You Aren’t A True Floridian Until You’ve Done These 9 Things
1. Hurricane Party
If you’ve lived in Florida long you know we deal with hurricane season every year. Some people are extra prepared for it to begin and most of us just wing it! As a matter of fact, depending on the category we either host a hurricane party or go to one we’ve been invited to by our friends. We most likely know we’ll lose power so bring a flash light, a 12 pack and lets party!
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2. Seeing Alligator In The Wild
Alligator are everywhere in Florida and like to hide in retention ponds or even golf courses. Your chances of seeing one in the wild are pretty high! Alligators are known for their aggressive behavior and there’s been many encounters with humans in the new recently. Gators will most likely attack when they feel threatened. If you live in the state of Florida it’s important to understand their behavior and take necessary precautions to stay safe especially in alligator infested lakes.
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3. Late Night Waffle House Visits
It doesn’t have to be after the club necessarily, it could be a night out drinking. But a main staple here in Florida is to hit up a Waffle House early in the morning or if you’re dealing with a horrible hangover.
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4. Catching Lizards
If there’s one thing we have it’s an abundance of lizards everywhere! They’re always running around and when it’s mating season you see them stick out their red throats looking for love. One thing we always did as kids was catching the lizards and then we would wear them as earrings. We’d gently open their mouths and have them hang off our finger or ear.
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5. Ordering Publix Sub
This isn’t even a question. If you grew up in Florida you have a favorite Pub sub. Even though they’re all delicious it’s a must to eat one every month. They’re the best!
Floridians love Publix. In some areas, you can’t drive more than a mile without seeing more than one.
Photo: Geno/BBGI6. Shooting Guns
Whether you’re going to the gun range or practicing outside Florida is known for their guns. If you’ve lived here for a while most likely you’ve had some target practice.
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7. Stuck In Disney I-4 Traffic
Whether you’re driving to Disney, Universal or Sea World you will 100% get caught in I-4 traffic. It doesn’t matter the time of day or night because there’s so many Florida visitors that have no idea where they’re driving. Always give yourself extra time when driving through or to Orlando.
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8. Scary Weather Turns Beautiful In Minutes
It could look like a tropical storm outside especially in Summer but wait 5 minutes and it’ll be gone! You might not believe me. If you’re a true Floridian you’ve seen this happen more times than not.
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9. ZigZag Run From Gators
When living in Florida you might learn about a lot of myths and one big one is the Zigzag run. Growing up you always hear that if an alligator runs at you, you should run in a zigzag pattern. This will help you avoid getting caught because they can’t follow you. FALSE! In fact, alligators can reach speeds of 25 mph, so you need to run as fast as you can, away from an alligator in a straight line if possible.
(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/WireImage)
