Backpack containing more than $1.1 million worth of cocaine found near Canadian border

Two abandoned backpacks containing about 78 pounds of cocaine worth more than $1.1 million were found near the Canadian border in Washington, authorities said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Monday, Dec. 23, that the discovery was made while agents assigned to the Blaine District were out on patrol on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The Blaine Sector, which serves the entire western half of Washington, Alaska and Oregon, discovered the two large black bags in a wooded area near the Linden, Washington, border.

They were found lying on the ground holding “30 brick-like packages containing a white powdery substance” estimated to be worth more than $1.1 million, according to the release.

After testing, the substance was confirmed to be approximately 78 pounds of cocaine and turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection told PEOPLE that the cocaine was smuggled in from Canada.

“Border Patrol conducted searches on the U.S. side of the border and RCMP on the other side, but no suspects were found,” the spokesperson said.

In a statement in the release, Chief Patrol Agent Rosario “Pete” Vazquez recognized the agents' “vigilance.”

“Thanks to the vigilance of Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents, these dangerous narcotics are prevented from entering our communities. Our agents work tirelessly day in and day out to protect this country, and this seizure highlights this critical commitment,” Vasquez said.

In 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 68,000 pounds of cocaine, the agency noted on its website.

The DEA classifies cocaine as a Schedule II drug, describing it as a “dangerous” substance with “a high potential for abuse and use that may result in severe psychological or physical dependence.”

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The agency explains that the physiological effects of cocaine include increases in blood pressure and heart rate, pupil dilation and insomnia. Widespread abuse can lead to cardiac arrest, convulsions, stroke and death.