TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Mayor Jane Castor made a huge catch while fishing the Florida Keys with her family in late July. But not the sort of catch one would expect while fishing.
Rather she reeled in a package containing 70 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately $1.1 million, according to the mayor’s office.
According to US Border Patrol, the package was discovered south of Marathon on July 23.
According to border agents, Castor saved the location of the find on her watch as the family hauled the package out of the water onto their recreational boat and contacted the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to report the drugs, her office told CNN.
In the news: Texas Border Agents Seize Over $3.8 Million In Cocaine Monday
The packaging contained 25 bricks of cocaine, according to Border Patrol.
“We appreciate the ongoing support from our boating community. Thanks to the efforts of this Good Samaritan, 70 pounds of cocaine are in federal custody and off our streets. We encourage the community to immediately report suspicious activity to local authorities,” Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Adam Hoffner said.
Castor spent 31 years with the Tampa Police Department, serving in nearly every capacity and in nearly every neighborhood of the city.
In October of 2009, Castor became Tampa’s first female Chief of Police, serving for six years in that role. During her time as a senior staff member, Castor worked to reduce major crimes by 70% citywide. While Chief, she developed and successfully executed a progressive policing strategy during the 2012 Republican National Convention and oversaw the successful Bollywood Awards, held in America for the first time.
In addition, she oversaw the multi-jurisdictional security plan for Super Bowl XLIII and led the Department of Homeland Security’s Tampa Bay Urban Area Security Initiative.
Castor was instrumental in the development of the plan that reorganized the police department, consisting of 1,300 officers and employees with a $145 million annual budget – creating three smaller, more manageable districts. Decentralization ensured commanders had the necessary resources to fulfill their missions and gave officers the opportunity to immerse themselves within the community.
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