More criminals are using drones to smuggle contraband into U.S. prisons and jails than ever before. The Federal Bureau of Prisons reported 479 incidents in 2024, a substantial rise from 23 in 2018.
More criminals are using drones to smuggle contraband into U.S. prisons and jails than ever before. The Federal Bureau of Prisons reported 479 incidents in 2024, a substantial rise from 23 in 2018. State prisons have also reported a dramatic rise in drone activity. The South Carolina Department of Corrections say they battle "nightly drone attacks" at its prisons. The department says drone pilots drop camouflaged packages of drugs, weapons, cell phones and other contraband into the prisons with pinpoint accuracy. Designated drone teams can detect drones, but FAA regulations prevent them from mitigating drones by shooting them down or disturbing their frequencies. The state recently adopted new radar technology that can detect drones and trace their paths. The trajectory gives the drone team the ability to work with local law enforcement to find the pilots near the drone takeoff location. FOX goes inside one of South Carolina's maximum-security prisons, where the state's drone team shows off their drone detection system and the race to catch the criminal pilots before they disappear from the radar.
