Narcotics/Drugs Convictions for February 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during February 2024 the government reported 1559 new narcotics/drugs convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 0.2 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for narcotics/drugs-related offenses are based on case-by-case information obtained by TRAC under the Freedom of Information Act from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (see Table 1).
When monthly 2024 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was only slightly up (1.1%). Convictions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are up 10.6 percent from levels reported in 2019.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Narcotics/Drugs Convictions
The increase from the levels five years ago in narcotics/drugs convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of narcotics/drugs convictions of this type recorded on a month-to-month basis. Where a prosecution was initially filed in U.S. Magistrate Court and then transferred to the U.S. District Court, the magistrate filing date was used since this provides an earlier indicator of actual trends. The superimposed line on the bars plots the six-month moving average so that natural fluctuations are smoothed out. The one and five-year rates of change in Table 1 and in the sections that follow are all based upon this six-month moving average. To view trends year-by-year rather than month-by-month, see TRAC's annual report series for a broader picture.
Within the broad category of narcotics/drugs, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within narcotics/drugs are
Drug Trafficking
Simple Drug Possession
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
Major Project Triggerlock Prosecutions (OCDETF)
Other Triggerlock Prosecutions (OCDETF)
The largest number of convictions of these matters in February 2024 was for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking", accounting for 64.7 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (34.6%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for narcotics/drugs convictions in February 2024 was DEA accounting for 45 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of narcotics/drugs convictions were: DHS (18% ), FBI (17%), ATF (10%), Local (5%). See Figure 3.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In February 2024, no defendants in narcotics/drugs cases for these matters were convicted in U.S. Magistrate Courts. These courts handle less serious misdemeanor cases, including what are called "petty offenses." In addition, complaints are sometimes filed in the magistrate courts before an indictment or information is entered. In these cases, the matter starts in the magistrate courts and later moves to the district court where subsequent proceedings take place.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In February 2024, 1556 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during February there were an additional 0 defendants whose cases moved from the magistrate courts to the U.S. district courts after an indictment or information was filed. The sections which follow cover both sets of cases and therefore cover all matters filed in district court during February.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of narcotics/drugs matters filed in U.S. District Court during February 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 840 1 1 1 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 428 2 2 2 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 63 3 3 3 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 35 5 5 4 More 46 USC 70506 - Penalties 24 6 8 7 More 21 USC 963 - Attempt and conspiracy 15 7 9 6 More 46 USC 70503 - Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US 14 8 6 5 More 18 USC 1959 - Violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity 12 9 13 12 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 9 10 7 10 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" (Title 21 U.S.C Section 841) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" (Title 21 U.S.C Section 841) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Attempt and conspiracy" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 846. "Attempt and conspiracy" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 846 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Importation of controlled substances" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 952. "Importation of controlled substances" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 952 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 78.9 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 46 U.S.C Section 70506 that involves " Penalties ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 574.4 percent — was registered for convictions under "Other US Code Section " (Title U.S.C Section ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 30.3 percent — was " Importation of controlled substances " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 952 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 34.9 % — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In February 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 560.2 narcotics/drugs convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of narcotics/drugs convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of convictions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 narcotics/drugs convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Montana 4,168 39 1 43 39 More Alaska 3,075 18 2 56 56 More Cal, S 2,536 73 3 1 2 More W Virg, N 2,207 17 4 46 51 More Delaware 2,121 18 5 90 91 More N Dakota 1,694 11 6 50 31 More Idaho 1,609 26 7 35 52 More D. C. 1,608 9 8 87 86 More Tenn, E 1,574 36 9 8 21 More Hawaii 1,500 18 10 82 75 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The District of Montana — with 4168 convictions as compared with 560.2 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during February 2024.
The District of Alaska ranked 2nd.
Southern District of California (San Diego) is now ranking 3rd. The Southern District of California (San Diego) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 for most frequent use five years ago.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Idaho , now ranked 7th , and Montana at 1st In the same order, these districts ranked 35th and 43rd one year ago and 52nd and 39th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions compared to one year ago — 147.4 percent — was Washington, D.C. (Washington). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 155.6 percent — was Delaware .
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions — 24.8 percent — was Southern District of California (San Diego). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 6.6 percent — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked District Judges
At any one time, there are about 680 federal District Court judges working in the United States. The judges recorded with the largest number of new narcotics/drugs crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during February 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago O'Connor, Reed Charles Texas, N 22 1 11 15 More Mazzant, Amos L. Texas, E 20 2 135 30 More Besosa, Francisco Augusto Puer Rico 18 3 28 134 More Pittman, Mark Timothy Texas, N 18 3 41 - More Morris, Brian Matthew Montana 17 5 209 150 More Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 15 6 93 57 More Delgado-Colon, Aida M. Puer Rico 15 6 61 114 More Carreņo-Coll, Silvia Luisa Puer Rico 15 6 10 - More Cardone, Kathleen Texas, W 15 6 41 22 More Gerrard, John Melvin Nebraska 11 10 14 44 More Delgado Hernandez, Pedro Alberto Puer Rico 11 10 46 191 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 2 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of narcotics/drugs convictions per capita, while the remaining 9 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 11 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Reed Charles O'Connor in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) ranked 1st with 22 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judge Amos L. Mazzant in the Eastern District of Texas (Tyler) ranked 2nd with 20 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judges Francisco Augusto Besosa in the District of Puerto Rico and Mark Timothy Pittman in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) ranked 3rd with 18 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Report Generated: April 3, 2024
