This brings to mind the Conch Republic of the 80's. Most of the law enforcement was on the take down there during that time.
Tons of coke and weed came into the Us through the keys. When the DEA set up road blocks on US1 in Florida City the people of the keys formed the Conch Republic and succeeded from the USA for 5 minutes.
A couple of buddies of mine used to live in the keys in the 80's and the stories they can tell. Helicopters would swoop in and dump their load in the middle of the night, by morning, all that was left were the blue tarps spread out where the load was broke up and put into cars for their trips up the coast. This one guy would go and sweep the tarps off and get a couple of pounds of "product" off of them. Make a decent living selling it too.
If the cops were not directly involved they were at the least paid to turn their heads and ignore it all.
I heard stories about the Columbus Day regatta in Miami where Lawyers, Judges, Cops etc... were on monster yachts with tons of coke and hookers having a good old time.
That story does not surprise me at all. It sounds like the 80's all over again.