Carr Pushes for State, Local Authority to Combat Illegal Drone Drops at Prisons

ATLANTA, GA - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is leading a multistate effort to combat the alarming rise in drones that are illegally dropping contraband into prisons, including narcotics, weapons, cell phones and other items. This is a major public safety threat impacting correctional facilities across the country, and it is fueling broader crime both inside and outside of prison walls.

Per federal law, only a narrow set of federal agencies are authorized to detect, track and mitigate unauthorized drones. Meaning, correctional officials often lack the legal authority and the necessary tools to intervene in real time. To address this gap, Carr and 20 other attorneys general are asking the Trump administration to provide state and local law enforcement with the ability to disable or intercept drones before they reach the prison.

"Drones are dropping a staggering amount of contraband into our prisons, and law enforcement are doing their best to combat the problem, but their hands are tied," said Carr. "Current rules put those on the front lines - our correctional officers - at a significant disadvantage, and we have to ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs. We fought to block contraband cell phones in prisons and jails, and now we're proud to work with the Trump administration to address this latest public safety concern."

In a letter sent to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter Terrorism, the attorneys general commend the administration's creation of the Task Force to Restore American Airspace Sovereignty. They also underscore the sharp increase in drone drops over prison grounds. In Georgia alone, over the past six months, the Department of Corrections has reported an average of nearly 58 drone incidents per month. Law enforcement has recovered everything from marijuana, ecstasy and meth to cell phones, razors, liquor and food items.

As stated in the letter: "This type of illegal activity is happening all over the country and the consequences are severe. The introduction of drugs contributes to addiction, violence, and overdose incidents. Smuggled weapons heighten the risk of assaults and coordinated acts of violence. Contraband cell phones enable incarcerated individuals to continue criminal enterprises, including fraud schemes, witness intimidation, and violent crime."

For this reason, the attorneys general request that the Task Force, led by Dr. Gorka, work with federal agencies to grant carefully defined authority for state and local law enforcement to address this threat quickly and efficiently. They also recommend continued collaboration with federal partners to investigate and prosecute those who use drones to introduce contraband into correctional facilities.

Led by Carr, the attorneys general of the following states have also signed on to this letter: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

Find a copy of the letter here .

Carr's Prior Actions to Address Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons

Along with his work to combat illegal drone drops, Carr has also taken action to address the prevalence of contraband cell phones in our prisons. In February 2025, Carr met with the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to discuss the urgency of this issue, and in September 2025, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced plans to introduce a new rule that would allow for the use of cell phone jamming devices in state prisons and local jails.

Carr previously urged the Biden administrationto take this same action, but that request was denied. In January 2026, Carr led a 23-state coalition in sending a letter in support of this new FCC proposal.

Carr has also partnered with the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) to go after those who are using contraband cell phones to engage in gang activity from behind bars. In November 2025, he announced the convictions of 16 members of the 1-8 Trey Gangster Bloods in Barrow County following a large-scale investigation into violent crimes, drug trafficking, and gang recruitment as directed from inside and outside of prison. Among those convicted was Jamar Ramsay, the statewide leader of 1-8 Trey who is currently serving a life sentence at Hays State Prison in Georgia for a previous murder charge. While incarcerated, Ramsay directed other defendants to engage in criminal activity to further the 1-8 Trey enterprise. Ramsay, along with other defendants, also engaged in electronic communication regarding the recruitment of children into the gang and the packaging, shipping, sale, and distribution of controlled substances, cell phones, and other contraband items into a state correctional facility.