Last Sunday about 180 bales of marijuana, weighing about four tons, were discovered floating off Dana Point.
On Thursday a Department of Fish and Game warden found a 30-foot skiff on the beach north of Morro Bay, and after following footprints in the sand he discovered 22 bales of marijuana (pictured).
Interestingly, in the first discovery, about 15 miles offshore, a boat was not found. Could the skiff -- a panga like those used by Mexican fishermen -- be the same vessel that lost the four tons of pot?
Perhaps not. That might have been too large a load to fit onto a 30-foot boat.
But inside the panga were several barrels containing more than 400 gallons of fuel for the outboard engines, and between Sunday and Thursday the speedy vessel, conceivably, could have made it to Central California.
In any event, it seems there's a lot of drug-running going on these days off California, so boaters and fishermen should be alert.
The panga was discovered at the northern boundary of the Piedras Blancas Marine Protected Area (MPA) within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Police from several agencies searched the area, using dogs and all-terrain vehicles, but did not round up any suspects. They are still investigating.
-- Image showing helicopter and bales of marijuana discovered off Central California is courtesy of the DFG
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