Checking Manatees, Patrol Finds $1 Million In Marijuana
BOYNTON BEACH, (CBSMiami) – A Boynton Beach Police Marine unit patrol working to educate boaters on manatee safety discovered something that weighed more than 1,300 pounds, but it wasn't a sea cow.
Boynton Beach Police said marine officers saw a 30-foot boat moving north on the Intracoastal Waterway that struck two sand bars and had no engine running.
Officers were given Florida drivers licenses by Sean Leon Debiase, 42, and Chet W. Hirshfield, 35, on the boat.
But, when officers asked for registration, the men couldn't produce it. Officers went on the boat and discovered 1,300 pounds of marijuana worth more than $1 million.
The duo tried to run on foot but was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who were near the scene at Harvey J. Oyer, Jr. Boat Club Park in Boynton Beach.
Debiase and Hirshfield were charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
