The information receptionist at park headquarters received an anonymous call on the afternoon of Friday, September 7th, reporting that drugs and between $4,000 and $5,000 worth of fireworks could be found in the hold of the houseboat Canyon Breeze, located at Antelope Point Marina. The houseboat was set to be leaving the marina the following day. Later on Friday, the park received another report, this one from a known person, reporting that a large number of industrial grade fireworks were being loaded onto the houseboat. Rangers, special agents, Coconino County deputies, and a dog and handler from the Kane County Sheriff’s Department contacted the people on the houseboat the next day. Forty large cases containing assorted fireworks were confiscated along with 110 grams of high quality marijuana and methamphetamine paraphernalia. The fireworks have been valued at about $4,000. Two arrests were made for drug possession and a third person received two citations for possession of fireworks and drugs. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is prosecuting the case. The fireworks will be destroyed in a controlled training setting by the county’s explosive ordnance disposal team. The investigation was led by special agent Brian O’Dea, with assistance from rangers Eric Scott, Jared St. Clair, Jordan Barthold and Chad Hunter.
