$75K Worth of Cocaine Was Found Near a Mysterious Shipwreck in the Caribbean
Officials in Tobago are searching for answers after a plastic bag containing more than a kilogram of "a white substance resembling cocaine" washed ashore on Feb. 18, just a few weeks after a barge capsized nearby and caused a massive oil spill in the area.
According to a police statement, the package weighed in at 1.109 kilograms (2.4 pounds) and is estimated to be worth approximately 515,285 Trinidad and Tobago dollars ($75,928 USD). It was found near Cove Estate on the island of Tobago, which sits approximately 500 feet from a reef where a boat crashed into a reef on Feb. 7. The shipwreck was especially mysterious because the 330-foot-long vessel didn't make any emergency calls and there was no sign of any crew on board.
The national security ministry said the barge was being tugged from Panama and was seemingly bound for Guyana, per CBS News. The accident caused an oil spill affecting 10 miles of Tobago's coastline that officials and volunteers have been working hard to clean up.
"The heart of our community response beats strong!" the island's Emergency Management Agency wrote on Facebook of the volunteers who have joined the relief efforts. "Their hard work is nothing short of inspiring as they tirelessly contribute to the recovery mission."
"Together, we are making a difference!" the organization added. Divers found the name "Gulfstream" written on the side of the boat, but there's still little information about the vessel and its origins.
Investigations into the suspicious drug package and the shipwreck are ongoing, as are oil cleanup efforts.
