As Hurricane Debby battered Florida, it delivered catastrophic rain, howling winds—and $1 million worth of cocaine!

Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida, US, on Monday, claiming at least four lives and plunging hundreds of thousands into darkness. Along with catastrophic rain, howling winds and perilous storm surges, the cyclone also delivered an unexpected cargo: 25 tightly-wrapped packages of cocaine!

The storm, which struck the northern Big Bend region as a Category One hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm, inadvertently delivered a cache of drugs along Florida's southernmost tip.

The packages, weighing about 31 kilograms, are valued at over $1 million!

The substantial drug haul was found by a vigilant beachgoer, who promptly alerted the authorities.


Interestingly, this is not an isolated incident. Back in July 2023, the mayor of Florida’s Tampa had also stumbled upon 31 kgs of cocaine, washed ashore in the same region.

Florida’s southern region, especially Florida Keys—a chain of islands off the state’s southern coast—lie near Caribbean countries that are key transit points for cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe and North America.

The combination of the Keys’ geographical location and the prevalence of drug trafficking networks has made it a frequent site for such discoveries, particularly during storm seasons, when the ocean's turbulence can disrupt illicit shipments and wash them ashore.

Beyond human encounters, this influx of drugs poses risks to local wildlife as well. The notorious tales of Florida sharks ingesting cocaine discarded into the Atlantic by smugglers add to the broader ecological consequences of such pollution.