Agents on patrol discovered two backpacks filled with cocaine worth more than $1.1 million in Washington state, near the border with Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday.
The officers were in a wooded area in Lynden, located in northwest Washington, near a port of entry, last Thursday when they noticed two black backpacks on the ground, officials said in a news release. They searched the backpacks and found thirty brick-like packets containing a white, powdery substance.
After testing the substance, officials determined it was cocaine and turned it over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Under federal law, most seized drugs are destroyed, although some samples are retained as evidence for criminal prosecution.
“Thanks to the vigilance of Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents, these dangerous narcotics were prevented from reaching our communities,” Chief Patrol Agent Rosario Vasquez said in a news release. “Our officers work tirelessly every day to protect this country, and this seizure underlines that critical commitment.”
Officials did not say whether any arrests have been made in connection with the discovery.
Cocaine is listed as a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and an accepted medical use for treatment in the U.S., according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Abuse can lead to irregular heartbeat, ischemic heart disease, sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.
