NBC NEWS – More than 30 kilograms of cocaine with a value topping $1 million were seized after washing ashore last month at the Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida, according to the U.S. Space Force.
The drugs were discovered on May 19 by Angy Chambers, a civil engineer and wildlife manager, who noticed the packages strewn about the beach while conducting a turtle nesting survey, officials said.
The estimated value of the 24 packages of narcotics was $1.2 million, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Chambers, with the 45th Civil Engineer Squadron, said in a statement she immediately contacted the 45th Security Forces Squadron with Space Force after making the discovery.
“Use of cocaine, like other drugs of abuse, induces long-term changes in the brain.” – National Institute on Drug Abuse
“While I was waiting for them to arrive, I drove a little further and noticed another package, and then another,” she said.
“At that point, I called SFS (Security Forces Squadron) back and suggested they bring their UTV, or Utility Terrain Vehicle, as I counted at least 18 packages.”
Joseph Parker, with the Space Force Security Forces Squadron, served as field commander. He suspected the packages contained drugs.
Parker closed the beach and contacted the county sheriff’s office, which provided a narcotics agent who tested one the packages and “verified that it was cocaine,” Parker said in the statement.
“Severe medical complications can occur with cocaine use. Some of the most frequent are cardiovascular effects, including disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks; neurological effects, including headaches, seizures, strokes, and coma; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal pain and nausea.” – National Institute on Drug Abuse
The drugs were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, the main investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, officials said … Click here to read more.