by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:56 AM ET, Wed November 28, 2018
Security officials working at a New York City airport discovered an unclaimed piece of luggage that contained an estimated $1.3 million worth of cocaine inside.
According to the New York Daily News, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents working at John F. Kennedy International Airport found the suitcase on November 21 after it went unclaimed following a flight from Quito, Ecuador, to New York City.
Officers discovered 38 bricks of cocaine inside the bag totaling over 100 pounds, which police said had a street value of around $1.3 million. Authorities are trying to find the passenger who placed the luggage on the international flight.
"This seizure is another example of CBP officers being vigilant in protecting the United States from the distribution of dangerous drugs," CBP official Troy Miller said in a statement.
While Colombia and Peru are the world's two largest cocaine producers, Ecuador can be found between the nations, making it a popular location to transport the drugs to the U.S., where around 33 percent of the world's cocaine is consumed.
A report from the White House released in 2017 revealed Ecuador was ranked No. 2 on the list of South American countries with the most-seized cocaine.
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