National Internal Security/Terrorism Prosecutions for July 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during July 2025 the government reported 31 new national internal security/terrorism prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 3.3 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged with national internal security/terrorism-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 (-46.6%). 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 11.2 percent from levels reported in 2020.
The dip in these cases is partly related to increases in the matters filed in U.S. Magistrate Courts. If magistrate cases are excluded and only Federal District Court cases are counted, the overall decrease in national internal security/terrorism prosecutions is 6.4 percent instead of 11.2 percent. The evidence suggests that part of the difference may be the result of improvements in the recording of the magistrate cases by the Justice Department.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in National Internal Security/Terrorism Prosecutions
The decrease from the levels five years ago in national internal security/terrorism prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of national internal security/terrorism 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 national internal security/terrorism, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within national internal security/terrorism are
Matters Relating to National Internal Security
International Terrorism Incidents Which Impact on U.S.
Domestic Terrorism
Terrorism Related Hoaxes
Terrorist Financing
Export Enforcement Terrorism Related
Anti-Terrorism/Environmental
Anti-Terrorism/Identity Theft
Anti-Terrorism/Immigration
Anti-Terrorism/OCDETF Drugs
Anti-Terrorism/Non-OCDETF Drugs
Anti-Terrorism/Violent Crime
Anti-Terrorism/All Others
National Security/Critical Infrastructure Protection
The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in July 2025 was for "Internal Security Offenses", accounting for 45.2 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Terrorism-Domestic" (38.7%), "Terrorism-National Cyber Security" (6.5%), "Terrorism-Related Hoaxes" (6.5%), "Terrorism-Critical Infrastructure Protec" (3.2%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for national internal security/terrorism prosecutions in July 2025 was FBI accounting for 74 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of national internal security/terrorism referrals were: DHS (10% ), Justice Other (3%), SecServ (3%). See Figure 3.
National Internal Security/Terrorism Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In July 2025, 6 defendants in national internal security/terrorism 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 18 U.S.C Section 115 involving "Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official". This was the lead charge for 33.3 percent of all magistrate filings in July.
National Internal Security/Terrorism 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 5 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 national internal security/terrorism matters filed in U.S. District Court during July 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 9 1 More 18 USC 875 - Interstate Communications 5 2 More 18 USC 951 - Agents of foreign governments 2 3 More 18 USC 2261A - Stalking 2 3 More 18 USC 48 - Depiction of Animal Cruelty 1 5 More 18 USC 115 - Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official 1 5 More 18 USC 231 - Civil Disorders 1 5 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 1 5 More 18 USC 844 - Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives 1 5 More 18 USC 871 - Threats against President and successors 1 5 More 18 USC 1029 - Fraud and related activity - access devices 1 5 More 18 USC 1030 - Fraud and related activity - computers 1 5 More 18 USC 1361 - Malicious Mischief - Govrnmt property or contracts 1 5 More 18 USC 1924 - Unauthorized removal/retention of classified docs 1 5 More 26 USC 5822 - Tax on Making a Silencer 1 5 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"Fraud and related activity - id documents" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1028) was the most frequent recorded lead charge.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Interstate Communications" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 875.
Ranked 3rd were "Agents of foreign governments" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 951 and "Stalking" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 2261.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In July 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 10.7 national internal security/terrorism prosecutions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of national internal security/terrorism 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.
Judicial District Count Rank Mass 9 1 More Cal, C 3 2 More Cal, N 2 3 More Fla, M 2 3 More Fla, S 2 3 More D. C. 1 6 More Delaware 1 6 More La, E 1 6 More Mo, E 1 6 More N Car, E 1 6 More N. Y., E 1 6 More N. Y., S 1 6 More Penn, W 1 6 More S Dakota 1 6 More Tenn, W 1 6 More Texas, W 1 6 More Virg, E 1 6 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts
The District of Massachusetts — with 9 prosecutions — was the most active during July 2025.
The Central District of California (Los Angeles) ranked 2nd.
Northern District of California (San Francisco), Middle District of Florida (Tampa) and Southern District of Florida (Miami) are now ranking 3rd.
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 national internal security/terrorism crime cases of this type during July 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Gorton, Nathaniel M. Mass 9 1 More Selna, James V. Cal, C 2 2 More Tigar, Jon Steven Cal, N 2 2 More Nichols, Carl John D. C. 1 4 More Noreika, Maryellen Delaware 1 4 More Howard, Marcia Morales Fla, M 1 4 More Berger, Wendy Williams Fla, M 1 4 More Williams, Kathleen Mary Fla, S 1 4 More Cannon, Aileen Mercedes Fla, S 1 4 More Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 1 4 More Brodie, Margo Kitsy N. Y., E 1 4 More Fischer, Nora Barry Penn, W 1 4 More Fowlkes, John Thomas, Jr. Tenn, W 1 4 More Biery, Samuel Frederick, Jr. Texas, W 1 4 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 14 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of national internal security/terrorism filings. (Because of ties, there were a total of 14 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton in the District of Massachusetts ranked 1st with 9 defendants in national internal security/terrorism cases.
Judges James V. Selna in the Central District of California (Los Angeles) and Jon Steven Tigar in the Northern District of California (San Francisco) ranked 2nd with 2 defendants in national internal security/terrorism cases.
Report Generated: September 25, 2025
