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Agents on patrol discovered two backpacks stuffed with more than $1.1 million worth of cocaine in Washington state near the border with Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday.
The agents were out last Thursday in a wooded area in Lynden, located in northwest Washington, near a port of entry, when they spotted two black backpacks lying on the ground, officials said in a news release. They searched the backpacks and found 30 brick-like packages of a white, powdery substance.
After testing the substance, officials determined that it was cocaine and turned it over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Under federal law, most seized drugs are destroyed, though some samples are retained as evidence for criminal prosecutions.
“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 press release. “Our agents work tirelessly day in and day out to protect this nation, and this seizure highlights that crucial commitment.”
Officials did not say if any arrests were 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 has an accepted medical use for treatment in the U.S., according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Abuse can lead to irregular heartbeat, ischemic heart conditions, sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.
