U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday that agents on patrol found two backpacks filled with cocaine worth more than $1.1 million in Washington state near the Canadian border.
Agents were in a wooded area of Linden, located in northwest Washington, near a port of entry last Thursday when they saw two black backpacks lying on the ground, authorities said in a news release. They searched the backpacks and found 30 brick-like packages of a white, powdery substance.
After testing the substance, authorities 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 kept as evidence in criminal trials.
“The vigilance of Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents prevented these dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities,” Chief Patrol Agent Rosario Vasquez said in a press release. “Our agents work tirelessly day and night to protect this nation, and this seizure highlights that vital commitment.”
Authorities did not say whether any arrests were made in connection with the search.
Cocaine is listed as one of the schedule ii drug Under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and it has an accepted medical use for treatment in the US, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Abuse can lead to irregular heartbeat, ischemic heart conditions, sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, stroke, and death.