Georgia AG Pushes for State, Local Authority to Combat Illegal Cell Phone Drone Drops at Prisons

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is leading a multistate effort to combat the rise in drones that are illegally dropping contraband into prisons, including cell phones, narcotics and weapons. He calls this “a major public safety threat” impacting prisons across the country, and says it’s fueling broader crime both inside and outside of prisons. In Georgia alone, over the past six months, the Department of Corrections has reported an average of nearly 58 drone incidents per month, according to Carr.

Per federal law, only a narrow set of federal agencies are authorized to detect, track and mitigate unauthorized drones. Correctional officials often lack the legal authority and the necessary tools to intervene in real time, according to Carr. 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.  

In a letter sent to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter Terrorism, the attorneys general say, “Contraband cell phones enable incarcerated individuals to continue criminal enterprises, including fraud schemes, witness intimidation, and violent crime.” Noting the consequences if illegal drone drops into prisons is severe, they state, “The introduction of drugs contributes to addiction, violence, and overdose incidents. Smuggled weapons heighten the risk of assaults and coordinated acts of violence.”

They also cite previous work with the Trump administration to block contraband cell phones in prisons and jails. In February 2025, Carr met with FCC Chair Brendan Carr to discuss the urgency of the issue, and in September 2025, the FCC’s 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, Inside Towers reported.

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.

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief