The Story Of Florida’s Independent Conch Republic
A breakaway state in the Florida Keys
In 1982, the era of Cocaine Cowboys and two years before the premiere of Miami Vice, the US federal government decided to set up a checkpoint along US 1 south of Homestead. From the government’s perspective, the checkpoint was a slam dunk. They blocked the only road leading in and out of the Florida Keys and subjected drivers to mandatory searches. The government was on the lookout for drugs, contraband, and illegal immigrants.
There was good reason to suspect that drugs were being smuggled into the Florida Keys. The government believed that guns, drugs, and people were washing up on the long shores of the Keys from places like Cuba and were unloading and driving the materials northward. This strategy would bypass the major ports of entry in Miami, which were heavily policed. By choking off entry and exit from the Keys, the government believed that they would be able to deter the flow of potential drugs into the country.
However, the checkpoint proved to be extremely unpopular. The extra hassle of getting into the Florida Keys was deterring tourism. That was the argument made by business owners and residents of Key West, a prominent tourist and party town. The city council made numerous pleas to the government, pointing to the fact that tourism…
