Texas man sentenced to 25 years for prison drone smuggling conspiracy

Tyler Joseph Gatten, a 33-year-old man from Little Elm, Texas, has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison. Gatten pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine.

Federal prosecutors stated that Gatten led a drug-trafficking operation that utilized drones to drop methamphetamine and cellphones into Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities. The contraband was allegedly resold to inmates by members of a white supremacist gang. The investigation was conducted as part of the Homeland Security Task Force.

Gatten also faces a separate indictment involving a conspiracy to smuggle cellphones and synthetic drugs into federal holding facilities by mailing drug-soaked paper disguised as legal mail.