A routine prison visit in Virginia turned into a high-stakes bust after authorities say a woman attempted to smuggle more than $96,000 worth of drugs into a state correctional facility.
The Virginia Department of Corrections confirmed the arrest stemmed from an incident on Saturday, Jan. 3, during visitation hours at Pocahontas State Correctional Center.
According to officials, Paula Saunders Daniel of Halifax was taken into custody after investigators received intelligence suggesting she planned to bring illegal drugs into the prison for an inmate. Special agents with the department’s Office of Law Enforcement Services were alerted ahead of her arrival and were already watching when she entered the facility.
A detection K-9 quickly flagged Daniel, prompting agents to intervene. Authorities said she voluntarily surrendered a package and told them it contained Buprenorphine strips, a controlled substance commonly trafficked inside correctional facilities.
Daniel now faces multiple charges, including one count of manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance or imitation controlled substance, as well as one count of delivery of drugs to prisoners or committed persons. The charges were filed in Tazewell County General District Court.
Following her arrest, Daniel reportedly consented to a search of the vehicle she drove to the prison. Investigators said that search turned up additional Buprenorphine along with a small amount of suspected cocaine, deepening the case against her.
In a statement released Jan. 12, VADOC Director Chad Dotson praised the work of the agency’s law enforcement team, saying the arrest made the facility safer and served as a warning to others.
“Drugs and illegal contraband have absolutely no place inside our facilities,” Dotson said, adding that officers work around the clock to keep Virginia’s prisons secure.
Officials said the investigation remains ongoing, and no further details have been released as of the time of reporting.
