National Internal Security/Terrorism Prosecutions for March 2026
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during March 2026 the government reported 32 new national internal security/terrorism prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 15.8 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 2026 prosecutions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of filings was down (-7%). 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 49.9 percent from levels reported in 2021.
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 March 2026 was for "Terrorism-Domestic", accounting for 37.5 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Terrorism-Providing Material Support to" (28.1%), "Internal Security Offenses" (12.5%), "Terrorism-Related Hoaxes" (12.5%), "Terrorism-Related Export Enforcement" (6.3%), "Terrorism-Critical Infrastructure Protec" (3.1%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for national internal security/terrorism prosecutions in March 2026 was FBI accounting for 75 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of national internal security/terrorism referrals were: DHS (9% ), ATF (3%), Commerce (3%), Labor (3%). See Figure 3.
National Internal Security/Terrorism Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In March 2026, 9 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 March the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 18 U.S.C Section 875 involving "Interstate Communications". This was the lead charge for 44.4 percent of all magistrate filings in March.
National Internal Security/Terrorism Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In March 2026, 23 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during March there were an additional 4 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 national internal security/terrorism matters filed in U.S. District Court during March 2026.
Lead Charge Count Rank 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 8 1 More 18 USC 875 - Interstate Communications 7 2 More 08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien 2 3 More 18 USC 3 - Accessory after the fact 1 4 More 18 USC 32 - Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities 1 4 More 18 USC 115 - Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official 1 4 More 18 USC 876 - Mailing threatening communications 1 4 More 18 USC 1832 - Theft of trade secrets 1 4 More 18 USC 2339 - Harboring or Concealing Terrorists 1 4 More 18 USC 2339A - Providing material support to terrorists 1 4 More 18 USC 2339B - Provide material support to foreign terrorist orgs 1 4 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 1 4 More 50 USC 1705 - International Emergency Economic Powers 1 4 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"Attempt and conspiracy" (Title 21 U.S.C Section 846) 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 was "Reentry of deported alien" under Title 8 U.S.C Section 1326.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In March 2026 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 9.5 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 Ohio, S 10 1 More Cal, C 2 2 More D. C. 2 2 More Fla, M 2 2 More Cal, E 1 5 More Ill, C 1 5 More Ill, S 1 5 More Kansas 1 5 More Maryland 1 5 More Mo, E 1 5 More N. Y., S 1 5 More Okla, N 1 5 More Penn, M 1 5 More Texas, N 1 5 More W Virg, N 1 5 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts
The Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) — with 10 prosecutions — was the most active during March 2026.
The Central District of California (Los Angeles), District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) and Middle District of Florida (Tampa) 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 national internal security/terrorism crime cases of this type during March 2026 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Rose, Thomas M. Ohio, S 8 1 More Shubb, William B. Cal, E 1 2 More Cooper, Christopher Reid D. C. 1 2 More Honeywell, Charlene Vanessa Edwards Fla, M 1 2 More Russell, George Levi, III Maryland 1 2 More Fleissig, Audrey Goldstein Mo, E 1 2 More Watson, Michael H. Ohio, S 1 2 More Barrett, Michael Ryan Ohio, S 1 2 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 8 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of national internal security/terrorism filings.
Judge Thomas M. Rose in the Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) ranked 1st with 8 defendants in national internal security/terrorism cases.
Judges William B. Shubb in the Eastern District of California (Sacramento), Christopher Reid Cooper in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington), Charlene Vanessa Edwards Honeywell in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), George Levi Russell, III in the District of Maryland, Audrey Goldstein Fleissig in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis), Michael H. Watson in the Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) and Michael Ryan Barrett in the Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) ranked 2nd with 1 defendants in national internal security/terrorism cases.
Report Generated: May 21, 2026
