Authorities found 1,300 pounds of marijuana wrapped in plastic floating in the sea near Santa Catalina Island on Tuesday.

A bystander reported seeing what they believed to be narcotics floating near the island, said the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday in a news release. The Coast Guard and coastal law enforcement crews rode boats into the area and found 43 bales of marijuana.

U.S. Coast Guard officials found about 1,300 pounds of marijuana floating near Santa Catalina Island on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. (Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard)

U.S. Coast Guard officials found about 1,300 pounds of marijuana floating near Santa Catalina Island on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. (Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard)



The plastic-wrapped bales were transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which confirmed the bales consisted of marijuana weighing approximately 1,300 pounds and an estimated value of $1 million, the Coast Guard said.

Federal investigators did not know where the bales came from and are continuing to investigate.