Narcotics/Drugs Convictions for October 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during October 2025 the government reported 1298 new narcotics/drugs convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 26.3 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 2025 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was only slightly down (-0.5%). 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 30.1 percent from levels reported in 2020.
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 October 2025 was for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking", accounting for 59.9 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (39.8%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for narcotics/drugs convictions in October 2025 was DEA accounting for 40 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of narcotics/drugs convictions were: DHS (18% ), FBI (17%), ATF (12%), Local (7%). See Figure 3.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In October 2025, 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 October 2025, 1298 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during October 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 October.
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 October 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 717 1 1 1 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 327 2 2 2 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 40 4 3 3 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 35 5 5 5 More 21 USC 963 - Attempt and conspiracy 17 6 7 7 More 46 USC 70503 - Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US 12 7 6 6 More 08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien 11 8 29 16 More 46 USC 70506 - Penalties 11 8 8 13 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 8 10 10 24 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 8 10 9 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 "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section. "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 920 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 8 U.S.C Section 1326 that involves " Reentry of deported alien ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 628.6 % — when compared with five years ago.
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 50 percent — was " Penalties " (Title 46 U.S.C Section 70506 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 45.8 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Importation of controlled substances " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 952 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In October 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 458 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 W Virg, N 3,351 26 1 11 49 More Wash, E 3,128 45 2 59 79 More Iowa, S 2,650 42 3 68 32 More N Dakota 2,561 17 4 51 31 More Iowa, N 2,419 27 5 64 53 More Vermont 2,035 11 6 72 42 More Cal, S 1,931 56 7 1 1 More Mo, E 1,721 42 8 10 14 More Ill, S 1,678 17 9 61 40 More Montana 1,477 14 10 43 37 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) — with 3351 convictions as compared with 458 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during October 2025.
The Eastern District of Washington (Spokane) ranked 2nd.
Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling), now ranked 1st , and Montana at 10th In the same order, these districts ranked 11th and 43rd one year ago and 49th and 37th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions compared to one year ago — 254.5 percent — was Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 740 percent — was Eastern District of Washington (Spokane).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions — 34.6 percent — was Southern District of California (San Diego). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 33.1 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 October 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Rose, Stephanie Marie Iowa, S 16 1 More Ebinger, Rebecca Goodgame Iowa, S 14 2 More Rice, Thomas Owen Wash, E 13 3 More Mazzant, Amos L. Texas, E 12 4 More Bastian, Stanley Allen Wash, E 12 4 More Brooks, Timothy Lloyd Ark, W 11 6 More Carreņo-Coll, Silvia Luisa Puer Rico 11 6 More Dimke, Mary K. Wash, E 11 6 More Limbaugh, Stephen Nathaniel, Jr. Mo, E 10 9 More Welte, Peter David N Dakota 10 9 More Corker, Clifton Leland Tenn, E 10 9 More Kleeh, Thomas Shawn W Virg, N 10 9 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 8 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 4 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 12 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Stephanie Marie Rose in the Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) ranked 1st with 16 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger in the Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) ranked 2nd with 14 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judge Thomas Owen Rice in the Eastern District of Washington (Spokane) ranked 3rd with 13 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Report Generated: February 19, 2026
