South Carolina prison officers intercept drone delivering steak, crab legs and other contraband to inmates

Prison officers in South Carolina intercepted a drone early Sunday morning as it attempted to drop a holiday-style bundle of food and contraband into Lee Correctional Institution (LCI) in Bishopville.

According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), the drone carried a collection of items that included steak, crab legs, Old Bay seasoning, marijuana and cigarettes. Officers confiscated the package and shared details on X using the hashtag #ContrabandChristmas.

“Some folks were apparently planning an early holiday Old Bay crab boil and steak dinner, along with their marijuana and cigarettes — all dropped by a drone at Lee CI,” SCDC wrote.

Photos released by the agency show raw steak, plastic-wrapped crab legs, Old Bay seasoning, a carton of Marlboro cigarettes, two large bags of marijuana and a vacuum-sealed bag of loose tobacco spread across a tile floor.

Authorities told Fox News Digital that officers also recovered the drone used in the drop. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.

SCDC spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said unusual items appear often in prison contraband packages, but this delivery stood out even by their standards.

“I’m guessing the inmates who were expecting this package are a bit crabby,” she joked.

Shain added that drone drops have become a persistent problem at LCI. “Contraband is a real threat to prisons across the country, and we fight nightly attacks from drones dropping dangerous drugs — often fentanyl and meth — onto prison yards,” she said. “We go to extraordinary lengths to combat drones.”

The SCDC and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office have battled drone activity at the prison for years. In 2022, an eight-month investigation led to 20 arrests and the seizure of 12 drones and more than 100 pounds of contraband. Officers also found three abandoned drones in the woods near the facility’s fence line.

Authorities warn that drones involved in smuggling operations have grown significantly in size and capability.

“These large drones can carry heavier and heavier packages,” Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simon said in a 2022 statement. “We are working hard to stop them from getting in the wrong hands.”