Narcotics/Drugs Prosecutions for March 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during March 2025 the government reported 1159 new narcotics/drugs prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 9.2 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged with 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 2025 prosecutions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of filings was down (-17.8%). Prosecutions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that prosecutions of this type are down 39.2 percent from levels reported in 2020.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Narcotics/Drugs Prosecutions
The decrease from the levels five years ago in narcotics/drugs prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of narcotics/drugs prosecutions 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 prosecutions of these matters in March 2025 was for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking", accounting for 70.7 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (28.5%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for narcotics/drugs prosecutions in March 2025 was DEA accounting for 37 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of narcotics/drugs referrals were: DHS (25% ), FBI (21%), ATF (8%), Local (3%). See Figure 3.
Narcotics/Drugs Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In March 2025, 315 defendants in narcotics/drugs cases for these matters were filed 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.
In the magistrate courts in March the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 21 U.S.C Section 841 involving "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A". This was the lead charge for 42.2 percent of all magistrate filings in March.
Other frequently prosecuted lead charges include: "21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances" (26.7%), "21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy" (17.5%).
Narcotics/Drugs Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In March 2025, 844 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during March there were an additional 233 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 March.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the prosecutions of narcotics/drugs matters filed in U.S. District Court during March 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 641 1 1 1 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 193 2 2 2 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 63 3 3 3 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 27 5 5 5 More 21 USC 963 - Attempt and conspiracy 26 6 8 8 More 46 USC 70503 - Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US 25 7 6 6 More 46 USC 70506 - Penalties 15 8 7 9 More 18 USC 1959 - Violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity 11 9 20 12 More 21 USC 959 - Possession, manufacture, or distribution for purpo 7 10 14 18 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"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 prosecutions — up 120 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1959 that involves " Violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 116.7 percent — was registered for prosecutions under " Penalties " (Title 46 U.S.C Section 70506 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in prosecutions compared to one year ago — down 36.8 percent — was " Firearms; Unlawful acts " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in prosecutions — 62.8 percent — was for filings where the lead charge was " Importation of controlled substances " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 952 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In March 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 385.9 narcotics/drugs prosecutions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of narcotics/drugs prosecutions that are filed in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of prosecutions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 narcotics/drugs prosecutions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Ark, E 2,114 29 1 15 18 More W Virg, N 1,944 15 2 7 60 More Cal, S 1,670 48 3 1 1 More Ala, S 1,519 11 4 88 60 More W Virg, S 1,422 10 5 30 59 More Okla, N 1,300 12 6 49 83 More Wyoming 1,233 6 7 85 87 More Tenn, W 1,160 15 8 75 42 More Ken, E 1,127 21 9 29 25 More N Dakota 1,072 7 10 67 65 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock) — with 2114 prosecutions as compared with 385.9 prosecutions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during March 2025.
The Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) ranked 2nd. The Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) was ranked 7 a year ago.
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 1 for most frequent use five years ago.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock), now ranked 1st , and Eastern District of Kentucky (Lexington) at 9th In the same order, these districts ranked 15th and 29th one year ago and 18th and 25th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of narcotics/drugs prosecutions compared to one year ago — 163.2 percent — was Southern District of Alabama (Mobile). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 66.7 percent — was Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of narcotics/drugs prosecutions — 66.7 percent — was Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling). But over the past five years, Southern District of California (San Diego) showed the largest drop — 54.8 percent.
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 of this type during March 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Hendrix, James Wesley Texas, N 21 1 12 16 More Bough, Stephen Rogers Mo, W 16 2 264 84 More Crane, Randy Texas, S 16 2 1 13 More Velez-Rive, Camille L. Puer Rico 14 4 95 - More D'Agostino, Mae Avila N. Y., N 12 5 366 158 More Broomes, John Wesley Kansas 9 6 95 364 More Counts, Walter David, III Texas, W 9 6 2 1 More Covington, Virginia Maria Hernandez Fla, M 8 8 26 84 More Scriven, Mary Stenson Fla, M 8 8 44 100 More Larkins, John K., III Ga, N 8 8 67 316 More Nye, David Charles Idaho 8 8 39 47 More Rodriguez, Fernando, Jr. Texas, S 8 8 57 34 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 filings per capita, while the remaining 10 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 12 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge James Wesley Hendrix in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) ranked 1st with 21 defendants in narcotics/drugs cases.
Judges Stephen Rogers Bough in the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City) and Randy Crane in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 2nd with 16 defendants in narcotics/drugs cases. Judge Crane also appeared in the top ten rankings one year ago (ranked 1).
Report Generated: May 14, 2025
