By the time staff found a package of meth and THC wax inside the Newberry Correctional Facility yard, state troopers had already been tipped off and were watching the area, police say.
According to the Michigan State Police, it happened at the Newberry Correctional Facility in Luce County this past winter.
A Tip, Then a Stakeout
On February 28, staff at the Newberry prison alerted the MSP Sault Ste. Marie Post to a possible smuggling attempt. Troopers set up surveillance around the facility and, before long, spotted suspicious activity involving a vehicle and several people nearby. They pulled the vehicle over a short time later.
What Turned Up in the Yard
Meanwhile, prison staff found a package that had made it inside the prison yard — past a buffer fence, two chain-link fences, and electronic detection systems. Inside it, police say, was roughly 100 grams of methamphetamine and four ounces of THC wax.
Three Arrests
All three people taken into custody were from Lower Michigan. Two Kalamazoo men, ages 27 and 32, were lodged at the Luce County Jail and arraigned March 3 in 92nd District Court. Each faces three felony counts (delivery or manufacture of methamphetamine, delivery or manufacture of marijuana, and bringing contraband into a prison) plus a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Bond was set at $10,000 each.
The third was a 16-year-old boy from Battle Creek, charged with smuggling contraband into a prison and possession with intent to deliver. Because he’s a juvenile, police haven’t released his name.
One thing worth stating plainly: these are charges, not convictions. As the State Police pointed out, everyone is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
A U.P. Drug Team Helped Close It Out
Troopers had backup from the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), the Luce County Sheriff’s Office, and the prison’s own staff. UPSET is the multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that covers all 15 U.P. counties, and the heads-up from Newberry staff gave troopers the opening they needed.
For a facility ringed by double fences and electronic detection, it turns out the most valuable security feature was a sharp-eyed staff and a quick phone call.
For more on what’s happening across the U.P., check out the rest of Yooper Hub.
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How this story was reported
Editorial methodAggregation
Last verifiedSep. 10, 2026
Corrections statusNo material correction identified in the July 13, 2026 source review.
AI assistanceResearched and drafted with AI tools. Reviewed and approved by editor Keegan O’Brien.
Verification note: Rechecked Sept. 10, 2026. No plea, bind-over, dismissal or sentence has been reported for either adult since the March 3 arraignments, and police have released nothing further on the juvenile case. The two adults' names were removed under YooperHub's policy of not naming unconvicted suspects by default, and the charge list and UPSET's role were made more precise.
Primary sources
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Newberry Correctional Facility (NCF) — Michigan Department of Corrections
Accessed Sep. 10, 2026. State government web page; cite and link.
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Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) home page — Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team
Accessed Sep. 10, 2026. Agency web page; cite and link.
Additional reporting
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2 adults, 1 teen, arrested in attempted drug smuggling scheme at Michigan prison — CBS News Detroit
Published Mar. 4, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026.
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3 arrested following an attempt to smuggle drugs into Newberry Correctional Facility — WLUC TV6
Published Mar. 3, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026. Copyrighted news article; cite and link only.
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Drug smuggling attempt foiled at Newberry Correctional Facility — The Newberry News
Published Mar. 3, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026. Copyrighted news article; cite and link only.
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Arrests made following attempted drug smuggling at Newberry prison — The Mining Journal
Published Mar. 4, 2026. Accessed Sep. 10, 2026. Copyrighted news article; cite and link only.