Michigan corrections officers intercept drug smuggling involving inmates at Baraga Correctional Facility

The Michigan Department of Corrections says officers at Baraga Correctional Facility stopped a drug smuggling plot involving several people, including inmates and a Muskegon woman.

The department says that on Jan. 18, 2026, a woman came to the maximum-security prison in the Upper Peninsula for a supposedly scheduled visit with an inmate. Officials say that after the woman was informed that there was no scheduled visit, she went to the lobby restroom before leaving.

Officers searched the restroom and found a package of contraband drugs, including K2, high-potency THC wax and suboxone strips. MDOC says officers swapped the package for a decoy, and a prisoner porter entered the bathroom the next morning. That individual was immediately detained.

An investigation identified several people involved in the plot, such as the prison porter who was apprehended, other inmates and known associates.

"When contraband drugs enter MDOC facilities, the effects are detrimental," said MDOC Director Heidi E. Washington in a statement. "The nature of contraband today makes it easier to conceal and deliver than ever before. We remain dedicated to detecting and stopping it from entering facilities in every instance, as the team at AMF used their vigilance and expertise to uncover this plot. Through collaboration with MSP, I am confident those implicated will be held accountable."  

The investigation is ongoing.