On the summer morning in June, what began to be a serene beach walk ended up being the focus of a federal investigation after someone stumbledupon an unidentified package along the side of Alabama’s Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Inside of sheets of black plastic and barnacle-like crust were 50 squeezed-tight bricks 110 pounds of pure cocaine whose street value topped $1.5 million.
The disturbing discovery, which was reported on June 26, 2025, elicited an immediate law enforcement response. Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies closed off the scene, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took immediate command, implementing an exhaustive federal probe of the source and trafficking of the cocaine.
WKRG News 5 reporter Debbie Williams, live on the scene, reported witnessing the moment the swimmers first spotted the bundle in shallow water and brought it to shore.
“Once they saw what they had, they called police,”
Williams said.
“Fifty packages, 2.2 pounds per package, wrapped in black plastic. They didn’t open any of the bundles inside.”
The barnacles stuck to the outer wrapping suggested the cocaine had been floating in Gulf waters for quite some time, possibly lost or discarded during a smuggling operation. BCSO quickly transported the contraband to their Investigations Command unit, where initial tests confirmed the substance was indeed cocaine.
The police believe this is another piece of the larger pattern along the Gulf Coast. Indeed, there was another incident in 2021 where 77 pounds of cocaine were washed up on the beach of West Beach in Gulf Shores. Sheriff Anthony Lowery pointed out the pattern:
“It’s not uncommon for us to see a bundle, and then days later more bundles float in. Sometimes they’re single bricks; sometimes bigger loads.”
Officials suspect that the drugs may be tied to Latin American maritime smuggling routes, frequently used by drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) who exploit the Gulf’s busy waters and unpredictable currents to move narcotics into the U.S.
HSI is now analyzing the packaging and markings on the bundles, hoping they offer clues to where the shipment came from.
“We’ll use every forensic tool we have,”
said one HSI agent off-camera,
“from wrapping techniques to trace elements in the packaging.”
Sheriff Lowery reminded locals not to tamper with suspicious items found on the beach.
“We urge the public to report finds immediately and avoid handling them,”
he said, noting the potential presence of harmful chemicals or contaminants.
Authorities believe more bundles could still be drifting toward the Alabama or Florida coastlines. Just days after this seizure, 25 more bricks of cocaine were found in neighboring Walton County, Florida this time stamped with a “Yosemite Sam” logo.
A post from X.
This unusual find is another reminder of the persistent battle authorities face against international drug trafficking. The BCSO and HSI continue to monitor the area and urge anyone encountering suspicious packages to avoid contact and call law enforcement immediately.
For the beachgoer who made the call, it was more than just a shocking find it was a moment that turned a peaceful morning into a high-stakes criminal investigation.
