Kern County Man Sentenced for Using Drone to Smuggle Meth Into State Prison

A Kern County man was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison for flying a drone over a state prison to deliver methamphetamine, authorities said.

Jorge Narvaez, 28, of Delano, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, Narvaez piloted an Autel EVO II Pro V3 drone over North Kern State Prison intending to distribute methamphetamine inside the facility. Investigators said Narvaez attached two balloons containing the drug to the drone, flew it over the prison and dropped the packages into the yard, where officers recovered them.

Laboratory analysis later confirmed the balloons contained a total of 21.4 grams of methamphetamine.

Authorities said Narvaez attempted a second flight that same day using three similarly packaged balloons of methamphetamine, but the drone crashed in a nearby field. Law enforcement recovered the drone and the packages, which were found to contain a combined 49.6 grams of methamphetamine.

A forensic examination of the drone revealed camera footage that showed the operator, later identified as Narvaez, investigators said.

Narvaez pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2025.

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