McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Bricks of cocaine have washed ashore onto two popular South Texas beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, which are located just north of the Mexican border, according to Border Patrol officials.

U.S. Border Patrol found 25 bricks of cocaine on one day that had washed ashore onto Boca Chica Beach. Another brick was found days later on Padre Island National Seashore, U.S. Border Patrol RGV Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez tweeted Wednesday.

A total of 75 pounds of cocaine were collected with an estimated value of $2.3 million, she wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Bricks of cocaine recently washed ashore two South Texas popular beaches bordering Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico. (Photos by Border Patrol)

Boca Chica Beach is less than half a mile from the launchpad for SpaceX’s South Texas Starbase operations. It is an undeveloped area with no shops or restaurants and has been a popular beach destination for South Texas families, especially those from nearby Brownsville, for generations.

Local groups have sued the State of Texas for closing the beach for SpaceX testing and launches.

It also is nesting grounds for endangered sea turtles.

But the region also is home to rival drug cartels in Mexico that vie to get their illegal products across into the United States any way they can, sometimes via maritime boats on the choppy Gulf waters.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.