Narcotics/Drugs Convictions for September 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2025 the government reported 1762 new narcotics/drugs convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 22.6 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 up (2.9%). 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 38.9 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 September 2025 was for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking", accounting for 59.7 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (39.6%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for narcotics/drugs convictions in September 2025 was DEA accounting for 42 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of narcotics/drugs convictions were: FBI (20% ), DHS (15%), ATF (10%), Local (5%). See Figure 3.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2025, 9 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.
In the magistrate courts in September the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 21 U.S.C Section 844 involving "Penalty for simple possession". This was the lead charge for 55.6 percent of all magistrate convictions in September.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In September 2025, 1753 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during September 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 September.
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 September 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 954 1 1 1 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 474 2 2 2 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 54 3 5 5 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 54 3 3 3 More 21 USC 963 - Attempt and conspiracy 19 6 8 7 More 08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien 14 7 31 17 More 46 USC 70503 - Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US 14 7 6 6 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 13 9 9 10 More 46 USC 70506 - Penalties 11 10 7 11 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 were "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section, "Firearms; Unlawful acts" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 922 and "Importation of controlled substances" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 952. "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago."Firearms; Unlawful acts" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 922 was ranked 5 a year ago, while it was ranked 5 five years ago."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 900 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 — 733.3 % — 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 64.3 percent — was " Penalties " (Title 46 U.S.C Section 70506 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 42.9 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 September 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 628.1 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 5,313 41 1 13 34 More Vermont 2,965 16 2 75 49 More Mo, E 2,266 55 3 10 19 More La, E 2,049 28 4 34 78 More D. C. 1,944 11 5 63 93 More Cal, S 1,914 55 6 1 1 More S Dakota 1,722 13 7 43 27 More Alaska 1,708 10 8 66 89 More N Dakota 1,684 11 9 42 44 More Ala, S 1,657 12 10 67 68 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) — with 5313 convictions as compared with 628.1 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during September 2025.
The District of Vermont ranked 2nd.
Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) is now ranking 3rd. The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) was ranked 10 a year ago.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling), now ranked 1st , and Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans) at 4th In the same order, these districts ranked 13th and 34th one year ago and 34th and 78th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions compared to one year ago — 70 percent — was Vermont . Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 1533.3 percent — was Washington, D.C. (Washington).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions — 36.7 percent — was Alaska . But over the past five years, Southern District of California (San Diego) showed the largest drop — 30.2 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 resulting in convictions of this type during September 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 16 1 More Groh, Gina Marie W Virg, N 15 2 More Jordan, Sean D. Texas, E 14 3 More O'Connor, Reed Charles Texas, N 14 3 More Hendrix, James Wesley Texas, N 14 3 More Reidinger, Martin Karl N Car, W 13 6 More Simon, Michael Howard Oregon 13 6 More Carreņo-Coll, Silvia Luisa Puer Rico 13 6 More Pitman, Robert Texas, W 13 6 More Limbaugh, Stephen Nathaniel, Jr. Mo, E 12 10 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 3 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 7 judges were from other districts.
Judge Henry Edward Autrey in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 1st with 16 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judge Gina Marie Groh in the Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) ranked 2nd with 15 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judges Sean D. Jordan in the Eastern District of Texas (Tyler), Reed Charles O'Connor in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) and James Wesley Hendrix in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) ranked 3rd with 14 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Report Generated: December 8, 2025
