Flavored Cocaine Alarms California Law Enforcement Officials

Setting off alarm bells and fears that the product is being targeted at a younger demographic, law enforcement officials in California's Yolo County say that a new type of cocaine is making its way into the U.S.—flavored cocaine.

On the heels of the largest U.S. seizure of the new cocaine, Yolo County law enforcement officials cite that the supposedly pure, synthetically flavored and scented cocaine is already starting to enter California. The substance is believed to be manufactured in Mexico.

Roy Giorgi, the Yolo Narcotic Enforcement Team's (YONET) commander, says the product--which is available in chocolate, vanilla, banana, coconut, and strawberry--is most likely being marketed to younger adults and teenagers, as is the case with flavored ecstasy pills and crystal meth.

"Scenting and flavoring cocaine is alarming to law enforcement," Giorgi says. "The public's going to start seeing more seizures of (it)."

Giorgi cites the price of the drug as particularly worrisome. During the sting operation, agents paid $72,000, or $24,000 per kilogram. A kilogram of pure normal cocaine from the same distributor cost about $16,000.

The Daily Democrat also reports that if the flavored version is as pure as normal cocaine, it means labs south of the border have figured a way to add flavor while maintaining the product's purity–-which has been attempted in the past and yet never achieved.

Samples of the drug confiscated during the seizure are being analyzed to determine its quality. Currently, law enforcement officials are unable to determine how the drug is manufactured.