36,000 Xanax pills seized after pursuit in East Los Angeles

California Highway Patrol officers in East Los Angeles seized more than $500,000 in Xanax pills after a pursuit.

The chase started after the driver did not pull over for a traffic stop early last Thursday morning. The suspects tried to get away from the police before ditching their car and running away from officers. 

With the help of two helicopters, officers tracked down all the people involved in the pursuit. 

Police searched the suspects' cars and found nearly 400 bottles of Xanax containing about 36,000 pills of Xanax. 

Xanax is a common benzodiazepine that helps relieve anxiety, muscle spasms and also reduces seizures, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Teens and young adults abuse the drugs by ingesting them, either orally or nasally, to get high. The DEA claims abuse is common among heroin and cocaine users, as well as opioid users who often use a benzodiazepine, colloquially known as "Benzos or Downers," to enhance the high. 

The drug slows down the central nervous system and causes sleepiness and relaxed mood. Overdose symptoms can include respiratory depression, common and sometimes death.