Panga Boat Smuggling 577 Pounds Of Marijuana Found Beached In Malibu

MALIBU (CBSLA) — Hundreds of pounds of marijuana and gasoline were found after the panga boat smuggling it all in beached in Malibu.

The beached vessel was reported Saturday at about 6:15 a.m. in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Deer Creek Road. When deputies arrived, they determined the 35-foot panga boat was a narcotics smuggling vessel using a makeshift wrought-iron anchor.

A search of the panga yielded 41 bales of marijuana weighing a total of 577 pounds. Deputies also found 37 large containers of about 605 gallons of gasoline – some inside the panga, but others were found floating in the water and others scattered on the beach.

Authorities say that amount of gasoline is common among smuggling panga boats.

No one was found near the boat.