Authorities found more than 7,000 pounds of marijuana floating in the
Pacific Ocean off the coast of Orange County, Calif., on Sunday.
The pot was packed into 160 bales atop a crate near Dana Point, and is
estimated to be worth at least $3.6 million, according to CBS Los
Angeles.
A boater first spotted the suspicious bales floating about 15 miles
from shore around noon on Sunday, according to the Orange County
Register.
"The Orange County Sheriff's Department responded and recovered
numerous bales of marijuana, and turned the narcotics over to the U.S.
Border Patrol," U.S. Border Patrol Agent Supervisor Michael Jimenez said
in a statement.
Three Harbor Patrol ships and a Coast Guard cutter were sent to retrieve the bales from the water — a total of 7,263 pounds.
An investigation is ongoing to determine where the pot came from.
Jimenez says the case is highly unusual, as marijuana bales are usually only dumped when someone is trying to flee authorities.
"At other events, they've dumped the bales to get rid of weight if they're being chased," he told the Orange County Register.
"Generally, in these cases, we're aware they're being dumped,” he said.
“What's more unusual is that the bales were floating with no boat in
sight."
rmurray@nydailynews.com
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