It was an ordinary day at the beach of the Fort Morgan Peninsula in Baldwin County, Alabama late last week. That was, until beachgoers watched a mysterious bundle bobbing in the water. Swimmers dragged it onto the shore and called the police.
Testing confirmed that it was $1.5 million worth of cocaine.
Authorities are now investigating the incident. The bundle reportedly contained 50 individually wrapped kilos and weighed 110 pounds. It had been in the water for so long that barnacles were attached to it.
$1.5 MILLION in cocaine washes ashore on Alabama beachpic.twitter.com/85Zmq9295m
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 29, 2025
The Baldwin County Sheriffs Office issued a statement claiming that incidents like this one are “not uncommon” and that more could surface in the future.
“It is not uncommon for additional bundles of illicit contraband to surface, and Sheriff [Anthony] Lowery asks the community to report any bundles immediately to local law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said.
“We ask the public not to open bundles or packages, as they could contain hazardous chemicals or dangerous drugs.”
Apparently, the swimmers who pulled the cocaine up onto the beach had opened the bundle.
“It was wrapped in black plastic, and they did tear into the black plastic, but they didn’t open any of the individual bundles,” Baldwin County Sheriff's Office Capt. Danny Steelman told WKRG.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also investigating, according to AL.com.
Reportedly, four years ago, 77 pounds of cocaine washed up onto the beach in Gulf Shores. In the following days, more cocaine washed ashore.