Five people from Houston are arrested for allegedly using drones to smuggle contraband, including drugs and cell phones, into the federal prison in Pollock.
“We know that one is in the United States illegally,” says Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been very helpful with the one that’s here illegally.”
The suspect allegedly in the U.S. illegally is Laura Martinez, 35.
The other suspects are Luis Alberto Aparcio-Portillo, 25; Roberto Mendez, 26; Amy Portillo, 18; and Edwin Portillo, 17.
All are charged with distribution of marijuana, taking contraband into a federal prison, criminal conspiracy and criminal tresassing.
Luis Alberto Aparcio-Portillo and Amy Portillo are also charged with accessory after the fact.
Sheriff McCain says this has been a problem for a while.
“With the more popularity of drones and the ease of the ability for people to get access to them, we have seen the use of drones increase tremendously in the last year and a half to two years,” says McCain.
The sheriff’s office and the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement seized about $12,000, believed to be revenue from the illegal distribution of narcotics in the federal prison.
McCain says they’re working on ways to combat the use of drones in smuggling contraband into federal prisons.
“We’re working with the federal government trying to get some cooperation from them to allow some technology to be brought to the federal prison here.”
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