Good Samaritan tip leads Coast Guard to 50-pound marijuana bale off Florida’s coast

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — 50 pounds of marijuana were recovered from the Gulf of America off Panama City Beach on Friday after a Good Samaritan reported a suspicious floating package.

The U.S. Coast Guard Station Panama City said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notified its command center around 1:03 p.m. after receiving a report of a possible narcotics bale floating about 13 nautical miles south of Panama City Beach.

A Coast Guard crew responded and recovered the package from the water. Officials said testing later confirmed it contained approximately 50 pounds of marijuana.

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The Coast Guard credited the Good Samaritan’s report with helping crews quickly locate and remove the suspected narcotics from the water.

Officials reminded the public not to touch suspected narcotics bales. Instead, they advise reporting the location to the Coast Guard or law enforcement and taking photos only if it is safe to do so.