MACON, GEORGIA — The U.S. Department of Justice announced federal charges on June 24 against a group accused of using high-power drones to deliver contraband to prisons in East Coast states. A grand jury in the Middle District of Georgia indicted twelve defendants on federal charges, including trafficking for the distribution of drugs and firearms, on June 10.

Federal prosecutors stated the drone operation was directed from a former nursery in Macon, Georgia, which served as a base for launching drones on covert missions. Officials said drones delivered contraband by air to 10 federal prisons at night. The defendants are accused of leading the drone smuggling scheme at federal prisons in Georgia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Authorities tracked the scheme between 2023 and 2026.

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia William Keyes announced the unsealing of a federal indictment, charging what he called "the most sophisticated and extensive criminal organization that has used drones to introduce contraband into the federal prison system ever charged by the Department of Justice." The 17-count federal indictment alleges the group used at least six different drones to deliver contraband to federal prisons at least 38 times. The contraband delivered included methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana, Suboxone, cocaine, cell phones, tobacco, cigarettes, drug-impregnated paper, and saw blades. Prosecutors stated that inmates inside prisons used illegal phones to help guide drone pilots outside, sometimes sending real-time locations and maps.

William K. Marshall III, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said the allegations describe "a coordinated criminal enterprise involving large payload drones to introduce dangerous contraband into federal prisons across multiple states." He added, "Activity of this nature threatens the safety of everyone living and working within our facilities and will not be tolerated." In some cases, prison staff recovered bags filled with drugs and other contraband minutes after drones landed, while in other cases the deliveries disappeared before authorities located them.

Keyes acknowledged the challenges posed by drones, stating, "They move fast, act remotely, it is a challenge for authorities." He added, "But I think what this case demonstrates is that we have the speed necessary to address this problem." FBI Special Agent in Charge in Atlanta Marlo Graham placed the problem in perspective, saying, "To put this problem in perspective, some cases of drone contraband in state and federal prisons have been so frequent that the facilities look like a small airport at night." The Federal Bureau of Prisons used drone detection systems that alerted authorities with data including the brands, models, and launch locations of the unmanned aircraft.