Overall Trends Federal Drug Enforcement
- Federal drug sentences substantially down
Drug budget dollars and budget priorities
While federal drug enforcement grows, DEA relative role shrinks
Customs and FBI drug enforcement up sharply
- Marijuana involved in more federal convictions than any other single drug
DEA now accounts for under half of all drug convictions
DEA, Customs and FBI records compared
Type of drug targeted varies by agency
Primary drug charge also varies by agency
- Over long term DEA referrals, prosecutions, and staffing have markedly grown
More recently enforcement fell and then rebounded
As did staffing
Prison sentences are now down
- DEA primarily relies on two statutes
Cocaine (plus crack) make up half of convictions
But activity levels vary widely by district
- [See also Customs Role in the Federal Drug War]
