Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has called on federal officials to work with state and local law enforcement to combat a growing trend of drones delivering drugs, weapons, cell phones and other contraband into prisons.

Drones have emerged as a significant public safety threat, affecting correctional facilities nationwide and fueling crime both inside and outside prison walls, a news release from Marshall's office said. Under current federal law, only a limited number of federal agencies can detect, track or stop unauthorized drones, leaving correctional staff without the legal authority or tools to intervene in real time.

To address the gap, Marshall and 20 other attorneys general are urging the Trump administration to grant state and local officials the ability to disable or intercept drones before they reach prison grounds.

"Criminals have found a way to turn the skies above our prisons into a smuggling route, delivering drugs, weapons, and phones past the fence line while our officers watch with their hands tied by federal law. That has to change,” Marshall said in the release. "We're asking the Trump administration to give state and local law enforcement the clear legal authority they need to intercept these threats before they land."

In a letter to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter Terrorism, the attorneys general praised the administration’s creation of the Task Force to Restore American Airspace Sovereignty and highlighted the sharp increase in drone-related incidents over prison grounds. In February, at least two people in Alabama were arrested for allegedly attempting to use drones to deliver marijuana and other contraband into state prisons.

The letter emphasizes the nationwide scope of the problem and its consequences.

“The introduction of drugs contributes to addiction, violence and overdose incidents. Smuggled weapons heighten the risk of assaults and coordinated acts of violence. Contraband cell phones enable incarcerated individuals to continue criminal enterprises, including fraud schemes, witness intimidation, and violent crime,” the attorneys general wrote.

The letter asks the Task Force, led by Gorka, to work with federal agencies to provide narrowly defined authority for state and local officers to respond quickly to drone threats. It also recommends continued collaboration with federal partners to investigate and prosecute those using drones to introduce contraband.

In addition to Alabama, attorneys general from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia joined the letter.

The full letter is available at www.alabamaag.gov.