NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Two Georgia suspects have been jailed after allegedly trying to use a drone to drop contraband – including drugs and cellphones – at a medium-security prison last week.
The incident occurred on May 3, after authorities at the Washington State Prison in Davisboro spotted a “suspicious vehicle” and pulled over the suspect for trying to get off, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said. social media posts.
Deputies then found several bags filled with approximately 2.95 pounds of marijuana, as well as tobacco products, cell phones, clothing and chargers, according to authorities.
The sheriff’s office said they also found razor blades hidden in a nearby area, and evidence at the scene linked the suspects to the drop-off location.
GOVERNMENT WANTS POWER TO REDUCE DRUGS, WEAPONS IN PRISONS
Deputies found approximately 2.95 pounds of marijuana, tobacco products, cell phones, clothing and chargers after arresting a suspected drone at the Washington State Penitentiary in Davisboro, Ga., on May 3, 2026. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
Photos shared by the department show dozens of illegal items seized by authorities, including several bags of marijuana, rolling papers, wireless headphones and more than two dozen chargers.
The investigation led the authorities to identify the people suspected to have been inside the car as Mariana Torres, 17, and Anyela Contreas Torres, 19, the Department said.
Both suspects were arrested without incident and charged with using a drone to commit a violation, possession of marijuana during the commission of a crime, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, prohibited items for prisoners, trafficking with prisoners (phones), trafficking with prisoners (drugs), trafficking with prisoners (tobacco and possession of tools during a crime), possession of tools during a crime. authorities.
AMERICA’S AIRPORTS ARE WIDELY OPEN TO NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, DRONE EXPERT WARNS: ‘NO WARNING’
Washington State prisons face an increase in drone contraband from 2024, according to WGXA. (Google Maps)
In 2019, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp passed Senate Bill 6, which “prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft systems. [drones] in bringing or attempting to bring illegal things into the place of detention.”
However, despite this law, the prison and local jail reportedly continue to face human trafficking issues involving drones.
“For the last four years or so, we’ve been dealing with drone sightings and drone incidents when it comes to delivering contraband to facilities,” Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran said. he told WGXA.
USING BORDER LAW TO SHUT DOWN DRUG DEVELOPMENT DRONES
Advances in drone technology, including the ability to carry large payloads and fly long distances, are contributing to an increase in drug trafficking in prisons and jails across the US. (Stock)
In October, Cochran told reporters that his department had arrested 17 people for trying to take down a drone since the start of 2025, and 75 of the 170 inmates at the Washington County Jail are facing charges related to the jailbreak.
“Currently, I have 44 percent of my people in the state prison related to the cases of incarceration in the Washington State Prison – 44 percent. To me, that seems like a lot, and it’s a burden on the taxpayers,” said Cochran.
Cochran reportedly pointed to advances in technology — including the ability to carry large payloads using drones — as the main reason for the increase in the number of drops.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
“They have more jobs, and the technology is much better than when they started,” Cochran told WGXA. “It’s easier, I think, for them to use drones than to go back to the old way of putting illegal things into these facilities.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Corrections for comment.
