Latest news with #YosemiteSam
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Mysterious packages featuring a picture of Yosemite Sam — and containing cocaine — washed ashore along a Florida beach
What in tarnation? beachgoer discovered $500,000 worth of cocaine — concealed inside mysterious black packages featuring a photo of Yosemite Sam — after they washed up on a Sunshine State beach. Twenty-five packages, each plastered with a photo of Yosemite Sam across the front, were found by a woman walking with her family near Whale's Tale in Miramar Beach, Corey Dobridnia, the public information officer for the Walton County Sheriff's Office, told The Independent. The total weight of the drugs found inside the packages was about 70 pounds, Dobridnia added. 'While enjoying our beautiful beaches, if you come across any square groupers, PLEASE call [Walton County Sheriff's Office] immediately and DO NOT touch suspicious packages. The contents could be extremely harmful,' the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. A photo shared by the sheriff's office shows that the packages were black and featured the same image of Yosemite Sam, as well as a thick coat of plastic wrap around them. Authorities confiscated the drugs, but said there is no way of knowing where they came from unless they are able to trace the Yosemite Sam insignia. The packages were found by Whales Tail, a beach bar and grill on Miramar Beach, a beach town about eight miles east of Destin. The Walton County Sheriff's Office is working with federal partners to investigate the discovery, Dobridnia said.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Florida beachgoer finds nearly half a million dollars of cocaine wrapped in "Yosemite Sam" packaging
A major storm has yet to hit Florida this hurricane season but that hasn't stopped the annual deluge of drugs from making landfall. A beachgoer on Sunday morning stumbled across nearly $500,000 worth of cocaine wrapped in "Yosemite Sam" packaging washed up on a Florida beach, authorities said, marking yet another discovery of illicit drugs along shores in the Sunshine State. The 25 kilos of drugs were wrapped in packaging with a design of the iconic cartoon character, the Walton County Sheriff's Office said in a social media post, which included images of the cocaine. A beachgoer found nearly $500,000 worth of cocaine wrapped in "Yosemite Sam" packaging in the Florida Keys, authorities said. Walton County Sheriff's Office "While enjoying our beautiful beaches, if you come across any square groupers, PLEASE call the Walton County Sheriff's Office immediately and DO NOT touch suspicious packages," the office said. "The contents could be extremely harmful. We're here if you need us." Authorities said they confiscated the narcotics and logged them into evidence. It's hardly the first time illegal narcotics have washed up on beaches in the Keys — and often the drugs have distinct designs. In August 2024, Hurricane Debby blew 25 packages of cocaine onto another Florida Keys beach. The packages, bearing a red geometric logo, weighed about 70 pounds and were worth over $1 million, police said at the time. That same month, tourists found a package with 16 bricks of suspected cocaine in Florida. In June 2024, boaters off the coast of the Florida Keys found 65 pounds of cocaine floating in the ocean. A photo released by the sheriff's office showed a package of the suspected cocaine emblazoned with an image of a bald eagle. Just weeks after divers found about 55 pounds of cocaine about 100 feet underwater off Key West. Images released by the sheriff's office showed packages marked "Nike SB," with imitations of the footwear brand's iconic swoosh logo on the front. Researchers with the U.N. have estimated that about 90% of the cocaine consumed in North America comes from Colombia. Traffickers often try to smuggle the illicit substance over the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean with speed boats and "narco subs." Cocaine can be dumped into the water to evade detection from law enforcement or to be picked up by other smugglers, but currents or storms can carry the packages to shore.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Fox News
Police reveal contents of mysterious black packages that washed up on pristine Florida beach
As Yosemite Sam would said: "What in tarnation??" A beachgoer in the Sunshine State happened upon an unusual discovery while enjoying a day on the sand over the weekend. Twenty-five mysterious black packages — each with an image of famous cartoon character Yosemite Sam — washed ashore on a Florida Panhandle beach on Sunday, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office. The bricks contained a whopping $500,000 worth of cocaine, police said. "While enjoying our beautiful beaches, if you come across any square groupers, PLEASE call us immediately and DO NOT touch suspicious packages," the sheriff's office said in a social media post. "The contents could be extremely harmful. We're here if you need us." Authorities subsequently confiscated the drugs and logged them into evidence. However, it's not clear where the packages of drugs came from. The Walton County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The incident comes three days after a bundle of cocaine washed up on an Alabama shore, according to authorities. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office received reports of suspicious packages located on the sands of the Fort Morgan Peninsula on Thursday, police said. Upon arriving on the beach, deputies retrieved the 150-pound packages and later determined they contained 50 individually wrapped kilos of cocaine, according to the department. "It is not uncommon for additional bundles of illicit contraband to surface," the department said in a social media post, adding, "we ask the public not to open bundles or packages, as they could contain hazardous chemicals or dangerous drugs." The sheriff's office subsequently contacted the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to take over the case, according to the department's statement. HSI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Cocaine worth $2M washes ashore on US beaches
Beachgoers at two U.S. beaches were shocked when cocaine worth millions washed ashore. On Thursday, approximately $1.5 million worth of cocaine was discovered on a beach in Baldwin County, Alabama. Swimmers spotted the packages floating in the water, dragged them ashore, and immediately informed the law enforcement. Cocaine valued at $500,000 was found on a Walton County beach in Florida.(X/ Walton Co. Sheriff) Baldwin County Sheriff's Capt. Danny Steelman told CBS News: '50 packages, 2.2 pounds per package, 110 pounds with a value of about $1.5M.' Authorities noted that barnacles were attached to the bundles, suggesting they had been in the water for some time. This incident is not the first of its kind in Alabama. In 2021, 100 grams of cocaine washed ashore, followed by additional packages in the days that followed. 'It's not uncommon for us to find a bundle, and then a few days later, another washes up. Sometimes they're individual packages,' Steelman explained to CBS News. Similarly, on Sunday, cocaine valued at $500,000 was found on a Walton County beach in Florida. The Walton County Sheriff's Office posted on X: 'This morning, a beachgoer discovered nearly a half a million dollars of cocaine washed up on a Walton County Beach. The 25 kilos marked with Yosemite Sam were confiscated and logged into evidence.' The sheriff's office urged caution, adding: "While enjoying our beautiful beaches, if you come across any square groupers, PLEASE call @WCSOFL immediately and DO NOT touch suspicious packages. The contents could be extremely harmful. We're here if you need us.' Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Laredo, Texas, seized over $1.5 million worth of cocaine smuggled from Mexico. During a secondary inspection of a 2006 Utility trailer, officers uncovered 50 packages containing approximately 114.37 pounds of cocaine. 'Thanks to the vigilance and dedication of our CBP officers, a significant amount of cocaine was intercepted before it reached our communities,' Laredo Port Director Alberto Flores told News19. 'Their commitment to securing the border and disrupting the flow of dangerous narcotics continues to play a vital role in protecting the public and upholding the integrity of our nation's port of entry.'
