⏱ 2 min read
A brazen bid to smuggle meth into Kern County’s North Kern State Prison ended in disaster when the drone crashed into a field, but not before the pilot successfully dropped off a payload of 21.4 grams into the prison yard. The incident occurred on June 9, 2024.
According to investigators, Jorge Narvaez, 28, of Delano, piloted an Autel EVO II Pro V3 drone over the prison, successfully dropping off the methamphetamine. But the second attempt didn’t go as smoothly. The drone crashed into a nearby field, and law enforcement recovered the device and its payload of 49.6 grams of methamphetamine.
Narvaez was caught after a forensic analysis of the recovered drone revealed footage of the pilot, later identified as the defendant. He pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, and was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Kern State Prison Investigative Services Unit led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas E. Karp handling the case.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: Kern County
- Location: CA
- Source: DOJ Press Release