Florida Man Charged With Trying to Sell Cocaine He Found at Sea
Finding a lost cocaine cargo at sea might seem like a payday, since landed prices for a kilo are well into the five figures in North America (and six in Australia). But possessing and reselling found drugs is just as illegal as smuggling them from the source nation, and can have serious consequences. A charter boat captain in the Florida Keys stands accused of recovering at least two dozen kilos and bringing them ashore in U.S. territory - then attempting to sell one to a federal agent.
Florida man Bradford Picariello, 65, was arrested on Monday on charges of trafficking and selling lost-and-found cocaine. He was detained after the county sheriff's office - working with DEA and CBP - carried out a sting investigation to collect evidence. On Monday afternoon, sheriffs' deputies met him at a marina in Marathon, Florida, after a source made arrangements to buy a kilo from him for a below-market price of $10,000. He allegedly offered the buyer up to 100 pounds if they were interested, and instructed them to bring a cooler for discreet transport.
Agents arrested Picariello on arrival and began a search. With his permission, they went to a storage locker to retrieve the rest of his stash, amounting to about 23 kilos in total. They also seized his 38-foot charter boat, a .40-caliber handgun, and $8,000 in cash.
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“I want to thank all the Sheriff’s Office members and our law enforcement partners who investigated this case and continue to work to keep dangerous drugs out of our community,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay in a statement.
The sheriffs' office said that they expect that the case will result in federal prosecution.
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