Texas Man Allegedly Used DJI Drone to Smuggle Drugs to Federal Prisons

If you see a drone flying around a US prison at night, don’t be surprised if some illegal activity is going on. 

Last week, the US charged a Texas man with using a DJI Inspire drone to allegedly deliver drugs and other contraband to two federal prisons in the area. The suspect, 42-year-old Bryant LeRay Henderson, was arrested last Thursday after surveillance footage spotted him flying the drone near one of the prisons. 

Investigators learned of the drug smuggling when his drone was found crashed at the federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, around midnight on May 7. Prison staff recovered the drone, which was carrying “46 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 87 grams of pressed THC, two prepaid smartphones, and nine mp3 players,” according to the Justice Department.  

Investigators then looked at the surveillance footage from a high school near the prison, and spotted Henderson allegedly flying the DJI drone, which can cost around $3,000.

“In a review of other surveillance footage, law enforcement identified a red Tahoe with an identical Transformers decal. From that footage, they were able to pull a license plate number,” the Justice Department added. “Two and a half weeks later, officers found the Tahoe abandoned in a travel lane, flashers on and hood up. It was impounded and later searched.”

In searching the truck, law enforcement found a debit card belonging to Henderson, a DJI drone controller, various other drone accessories, along with 18 smartphones and tobacco products. In addition, they uncovered “vacuum-packed containers with steroid labels connected to a fishing line and a key ring,” which were likely used to package and carry the drugs on the drone. 

Investigators then tried to wirelessly connect the recovered controller with the DJI Inspire and found they immediately paired. Recovered flight logs showed the drone flew four times to the Fort Worth federal prison and another two flights to a federal correctional facility in Seagoville, Texas. 

Recommended by Our Editors

US Used Drone Carrying Knife Missile to Kill Al-Qaeda Chief

Russia Praises DJI Mavic Drone as 'True Symbol of Modern Warfare'

Spanish Police Seize Unmanned 'Submarine Drones' Used to Move Drugs

“Law enforcement then queried Mr. Henderson’s records and found that the phone was near FMC Fort Worth around the time of the drone cash, and near FCI Seagoville near the time of the drone’s flight into the prison’s airspace,” the Justice Department added.  

The arrest is part of a long, growing trend of people using off-the-shelf drones to smuggle drugs into prisons. Last month, the US indicted a Houston man for allegedly committing the same crime using an DJI Matrice 600 Pro Drone, which can retail for over $7,000.

"Contraband drone deliveries are quickly becoming the bane of prison officials’ existence," according to US Attorney Chad Meacham. Henderson now faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of all offenses, which include drug distribution and delivering contraband to a prison.

About Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

I've been with PCMag since October 2017, covering a wide range of topics, including consumer electronics, cybersecurity, social media, networking, and gaming. Prior to working at PCMag, I was a foreign correspondent in Beijing for over five years, covering the tech scene in Asia.

Read Michael's full bio

Read the latest from Michael Kan

• This Acer Laptop's Touchpad Turns Into a Detachable Gamepad
• Qualcomm Tips Lower-Cost Snapdragon Laptops With X Plus 8-Core Chips
• Elon Musk: Cellular Starlink Will Only Be Exclusive on T-Mobile for the First Year
• FCC Rejects Citizen Effort to Revive $886M in Funding for SpaceX's Starlink
• Windows 11 Dethrones Windows 10 to Become New King of PC Gaming
• More from Michael Kan