Environment Prosecutions for July 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during July 2025 the government reported 30 new environment prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 3.4 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged with environment-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 (-6.5%). Prosecutions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that prosecutions of this type are up 46.1 percent from levels reported in 2020.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Environment Prosecutions
The increase from the levels five years ago in environment prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of environment 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 environment, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within environment are
Illegal Discharge of Toxic, Hazardous or Carcinogenic Waste
Wildlife Protection
Marine Resources
Environmental Crime
The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in July 2025 was for "Environ-Environmental Crimes", accounting for 40 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Environ-Wildlife Protection" (33.3%), "Environ-Marine Resources" (26.7%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for environment prosecutions in July 2025 was DHS accounting for 37 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of environment referrals were: Interior (20% ), Commerce (17%), EPA (13%), Agri (3%). See Figure 3.
Environment Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In July 2025, 5 defendants in environment 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 July the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 16 U.S.C Section 3372 involving "Illegally Taken Fish & Wildlife - prohibited acts". This was the lead charge for 60 percent of all magistrate filings in July.
Environment Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In July 2025, 25 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during July there were an additional 14 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 July.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the prosecutions of environment matters filed in U.S. District Court during July 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 16 USC 3372 - Illegally Taken Fish & Wildlife - prohibited acts 22 1 1 1 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 5 2 2 4 More 16 USC 704 - When/how migratory birds may be taken, killed,poss 4 3 - 13 More 07 USC 2156 - Animal Fighting Venture Prohibited 1 5 4 - More 16 USC 703 - Taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds 1 5 4 4 More 16 USC 1538 - Endangered Species - Prohibitive acts 1 5 9 4 More 18 USC 545 - Smuggling goods into the United States 1 5 3 3 More 33 USC 1908 - Prevention of Pollution from Ships - Penalties 1 5 9 13 More 42 USC 7413 - Air Pollution Prevention and Control - Fed strd 1 5 14 2 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"Illegally Taken Fish & Wildlife - prohibited acts" (Title 16 U.S.C Section 3372) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Illegally Taken Fish & Wildlife - prohibited acts" (Title 16 U.S.C Section 3372) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 371. "Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 371 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "When/how migratory birds may be taken, killed,poss" under Title 16 U.S.C Section 704.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in prosecutions — up 200 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 42 U.S.C Section 7413 that involves " Air Pollution Prevention and Control - Fed strd ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 466.7 percent — was registered for prosecutions under " Taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds " (Title 16 U.S.C Section 703 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in prosecutions compared to one year ago — down 75 percent — was " Animal Fighting Venture Prohibited " (Title 7 U.S.C Section 2156 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in prosecutions — 66.7 percent — was for filings where the lead charge was " Endangered Species - Prohibitive acts " (Title 16 U.S.C Section 1538 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In July 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 14 environment prosecutions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of environment prosecutions that are filed in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of prosecutions of this type last month are shown in Table 3.
The Southern District of Texas (Houston) — with 15 prosecutions — was the most active during July 2025.
The Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham) and District of Alaska ranked 2nd.
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 environment crime cases of this type during July 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Rodriguez, Fernando, Jr. Texas, S 9 1 More Burgess, Timothy Mark Alaska 5 2 More Olvera, Jose Rolando, Jr. Texas, S 4 3 More Rankin, Kelly H. Wyoming 3 4 More Van Meerveld, Janis La, E 2 5 More Crane, Randy Texas, S 2 5 More Bourgeois, Richard L., Jr. La, M 1 7 More York, Jon Tenn, W 1 7 More Stadtmueller, Joseph Peter Wisc, E 1 7 More Pepper, Pamela Wisc, E 1 7 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 10 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of environment filings.
Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 1st with 9 defendants in environment cases.
Judge Timothy Mark Burgess in the District of Alaska ranked 2nd with 5 defendants in environment cases.
Judge Jose Rolando Olvera, Jr. in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 3rd with 4 defendants in environment cases.
Report Generated: September 25, 2025
