Policyband

Do Red State AGs Want Power to Shoot Down Drones Dropping Mobile Phones into Prisons?

Led by Georgia AG Chris Carr, the officials want 'the ability to use multiple means necessary to disable or intercept drones before they reach the prison'

Ted Hearn

Mar 31, 2026 — 8 min read

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Jail: Prison contraband is arriving by drone. A coalition of Republican state attorneys general is urging the Trump administration to give states more authority to stop drones from dropping illegal items — especially cell phones — into prisons. In a March 27 letter to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism, the attorneys general said drone “drops” are surging over correctional facilities and are being used to smuggle contraband that bypasses perimeter defenses. “Contraband cell phones enable incarcerated individuals to continue criminal enterprises, including fraud schemes, witness intimidation, and violent crime,” the Red State AGs said in the letter led by Georgia AG Chris Carr. In Georgia, the Department of Corrections has reported an average of nearly 58 drone incidents per month over the past six months, the group said. (More after paywall)