# Feds: Drone-flying prison smugglers used old daycare center as storehouse – AJC.com > Federal prosecutors announced the indictment of 12 individuals in what they described as the largest federal prosecution of a drone-based prison smuggling operation. The alleged ring used a former day… **Published**: 2026-06-26 **Source**: https://gps.press/gps-news/feds-drone-flying-prison-smugglers-used-old-daycare-center-as-storehouse-ajc-com/ **Author**: Georgia Prisoners' Speak --- Federal prosecutors announced the indictment of 12 individuals in what they described as the largest federal prosecution of a drone-based prison smuggling operation. The alleged ring used a former daycare center in Macon, Georgia, nicknamed “the Lab,” as a base to airdrop contraband including drugs, cellphones, and weapons into 10 federal prisons across eight states. The operation involved at least 38 flights using six large-payload drones to deliver items to facilities in Atlanta and Jesup, Georgia, as well as prisons in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia stated that nearly all of the accused are from Macon or have ties to the area.