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

BOISE, ID - Attorney General Raúl Labrador has joined 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 - who are on the front lines of this issue - often lack the legal authority and the necessary tools to intervene in real time. To address this gap, Attorney General Labrador 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 contraband directly into prisons, allowing inmates to continue running criminal enterprises from behind bars," said Attorney General Labrador. "Corrections officers can see these drones-which are carrying drugs and weapons-coming, but can't legally stop them. We're asking President Trump's task force to change that and give state law enforcement the authority to disable these drones before they reach the prison."

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.

The letter states: "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.

Read the letter here.

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