Jefferson County Sheriff's Lt. Troy Tucker said drug smugglers have been known to use freighters and the cocaine may have been kicked overboard to avoid detection.
The sheriff's department was working with federal agencies Wednesday to try to determine the source of the 53 pounds of cocaine, worth about $500,000.
A television station reported the cocaine was found Tuesday west of Sea Rim State Park, in the Sabine Pass area.
It was found by people looking for debris, such as metal, that washes ashore. Their names weren't released.
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