Deputies discover panga boat washed up in Big Sur

UPDATE 7/15/2016 6 PM:

A major find by law enforcement – bales of marijuana discovered on an abandoned boat near Big Sur. That pot is now off the streets and in the hands of law enforcement.

On Thursday, deputies with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office responded to a beach south of Big Sur. The caller saw three suspects, thought something wasn’t right and called authorities. When authorities arrived, they found about 35 bales of marijuana. There’s no word on how much the estimated 875 pounds of marijuana is worth.

Deputies say the boat was found on some nearby rocks, the suspects were gone without a trace.

The Sheriff’s Office has been working with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. There were at least three deputies on the scene, along with two K-9’s.

“Generally speaking, experience says folks carrying this much narcotics are typically armed,” Cmdr. John Thornburg said. “They’re gonna protect the dope because this is a lot of money that somebody is not going to make or is out, depending on your point of view. So we had to make sure we had enough people there.”

Authorities don’t know if this beach was the smugglers’ final destination but Big Sur tends to be a spot where smugglers choose.

“It is a little more difficult for them to get from the beach to the road, and carry 25 pounds of narcotics to get it there,” Thornburg said. “But the benefits to nobody being there, especially at nighttime, very little vehicle, foot traffic can make it a very desirable location to land.”

Panga boat discoveries are become more common in our area because law enforcement in Southern California have shut down smugglers’ usual landing spots.

This is the third panga boat discovery this year. They believe it could be the biggest since last June, when authorities discovered 150 bales of marijuana. That’s an estimated $18 million of drugs off the streets.

Despite drug runs becoming more common, the Sheriff’s Office says it doesn’t have the bodies to devote patrolling Highway 1. However, when they do get credible tips, they work with other agencies to catch the smugglers.

ORIGINAL POST:

A panga boat carrying 35 bales of marijuana was found along a beach in Big Sur on Thursday, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said multiple agencies worked to gather evidence and investigate the case.

No arrests were made and anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office
or the anonymous tip-line (888) 833-4TIP (4847).

KION will have more on this story.