16 Bricks Of Cocaine Washed Up On Florida's Beaches During Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane Dorian – which was upgraded to a category 3 storm on Wednesday – hit the Sunshine State earlier this week, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds of up to 110 kilometers (70 miles) per hour, Accuweather reports – as well as a bumper crop of narcotics.

According to local law enforcement, there have been at least two reports of cocaine being washed ashore in the aftermath of the hurricane, the first in Melbourne's Paradise Beach Park.

At 8am local time, an officer on foot patrol was informed of a suspicious package by a beachgoer. Testing later confirmed the substance was cocaine and police now plan to dispose of the kilo, a spokesperson has said.

Then, further north, in Cocoa Beach, officers were alerted to an abandoned duffel bag that had been beached in the storms. Inside the bag, law enforcement found 15 bricks of cocaine, which have now been handed to the United States Custom and Border Protection. 

It's a large haul – Sergeant Manny Hernandez told NBC News, 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) can fetch an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 in the Orlando area, so no doubt someone out there is pretty miffed. 

It's not the first time large quantities of drugs have been found abandoned on the shore. In November 2017, an estimated 23 kilograms (50 pounds) of cocaine was found just south of Melbourne Beach and in October 1996, seven bales of marijuana were picked up in Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, and Indian River County.

And as Florida Today reports, some pretty unusual things have been found ashore over the years as well. That includes vacuum-sealed packs of Cafe Bustelo coffee and a red mangrove tree, which has since become a local landmark in Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

During Hurricane Irma, beachgoers found a beached sailboat containing no human passengers but a partially clothed and completely bald mannequin.