Robert Platshorn Obituary, Legendary Pot Smuggler Has Died – Death Cause
Robert Platshorn Obituary, Death – Robert Platshorn, known as the “Weed Smuggler Extraordinaire,” has passed away. His exploits on the “high seas” earned him the nickname Bobby Tuna, and he passed away at the age of 79. Following a brief stay in the hospital for treatment of an unidentified condition, he has just completed a week of hospice care.
Platshorn was born in Philadelphia on November 11, 1943, and in the 1970s he discovered his calling in the business of importing marijuana from Colombia. His team was known by the DEA under the code name of the Black Tuna Gang. They sold a popular strain known as Santa Marta Gold, which ultimately led to their financial success. Platshorn, who had his headquarters in Miami Beach, was the owner of a large number of front companies as well as multiple boats.
But the good times came to an end when the DEA arrested members of the Black Tuna Gang in 1978 and charged them with illegally importing 500 tons of tuna into the United States between 1977 and 1978. It was a significant victory for the DEA.
Following two separate proceedings, Platshorn, his companion Robert Meinster, and six other gang members were found guilty of the charges. The combined sentences for Platshorn and Menster came to 108 years in prison. Platshorn was finally released from a federal prison 15 years before the date of his death, which was on April Fool’s Day in 2008, after having served a total of 28 years behind bars.
Bob wasted little time in getting to know all of the activists and launching his own organization, which he called the Senior Tour. This group targeted senior citizens in the United States who had an interest in cannabis. Bob was a fan of the magazine High Times, which published a cover story on the gang in 1981. It was then that I met Bob, and we quickly became friends.
