Drones supply a new transportation system for illegal drugs
Planes, helicopters, drug mules, submarines and now drug drones: What do all of these have in common? These are all transportation vehicles that have been used to transport illegal drugs nationally and internationally. Private planes have been transporting cocaine to the United States from South America for decades. Submarines have been transporting opioids from Mexico and now drones are transporting illegal drugs to people in prison.
The evolution of drones
A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is controlled by a remote and powered by a jet or an electrical engine. It is basically a flying robot. Drones have been used by the United States military to aid in defensive and offensive battles. Drones have also been used by the police force and by search-and-rescue crews to hunt down speeding vehicles, runaway convicts and missing persons.
Recently, drones have become extremely popular among civilians for leisure purposes. For example, some enthusiasts fly drones over the ocean to record breathtaking views of the scenery and wildlife. Others fly these expensive vehicles over celebrities’ homes and release jaw-dropping pictures to social media and the press. Civilians use drones for their own private purposes.
Many recent reports have noted that drones have been used to transport illegal drugs. Instead of the usual drug deal under a bridge or in a hidden care, drones are the new transportation device for the private delivery of drugs.
Drug-carrying drones make headlines
According to news sources, in July of this year a drone full of drugs that included 144.5 grams of tobacco, 65.4 grams of marijuana and 6.6 grams of heroin flew over and dropped this package over Mansfield Correctional Institution in Ohio. This is not the only incident that has documented drones carrying drugs.
In January 2015, a drone that was carrying methamphetamines crashed in Tijuana, Mexico. A few months later, a drone crashed outside the prison walls of the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina, and was found to be carrying tobacco and marijuana.
Another news report indicated that a drone carrying 28 pounds of heroin over the Mexico- United States border was the first cross-border seizure by U.S. law enforcement involving the new smuggle-by-air tactic.
Stopping the demand for drugs
Drug smuggling has been going on for decades but with this new technology it has become easier for drugs to be transported and harder for law enforcement to regulate this transportation. If there is an addiction, there is a way. With the demand comes the supply. The war on drugs begins by breaking the addiction and stopping the demand.
Sovereign Health Group is committed to helping those who seek to break the chains of their addictions. Help is available 24/7 at 855-683-9756.
Written by Kristen Fuller, M.D., Sovereign Health Group writer