KEY WEST, FL—100 feet below the Atlantic Ocean off the Key West coast, divers exploring the tropical June waters discovered 25 packages of suspected cocaine innocuously marked as "Nike SB" products.
The scuba divers reported what they thought was trash to the Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo, who called deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office then turned over the stash to U.S. Border Patrol, to add onto their ever-mounting tally of illicit "square groupers", as locals slangily call overboard packages of marijuana or cocaine.
Images released by the agency reveal the "Nike SB" packages were emblazoned with knock-off imitations of the brand's iconic swoosh logo, CBS reports. The 25 packages—estimated to be around 55 pounds total—were found 100 feet underwater by the divers Wednesday.
This isn't the first suspected cocaine haul to be found off of the Florida Keys. Situated just 90 miles and change from Cuba, the Caribbean island's location between North and South America has made it an ideal transit point for drug trafficking routes heading north and west.
Last month, a beachgoer found $1 million worth of cocaine in a 65 pound package, and in October, 67 pounds of cocaine turned up on Daytona Beach. According to CBS, more than 150 pounds of packaged cocaine washed up on Big Pine Key alone last year, with packages totaling over $100,000 landing on several other Florida beaches.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor even reeled in a 70 pound package of the white stuff on a fishing trip with family, allegedly marked with butterfly designs.
