Narcotics/Drugs Convictions for July 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during July 2024 the government reported 1672 new narcotics/drugs convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 34.1 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 2024 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was down (-11.1%). Convictions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are down 8.7 percent from levels reported in 2019.
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 narcotics/drugs convictions is 6.9 percent instead of 8.7 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 Narcotics/Drugs Convictions
The decrease 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 July 2024 was for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking", accounting for 62.4 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (37.3%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for narcotics/drugs convictions in July 2024 was DEA accounting for 44 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of narcotics/drugs convictions were: DHS (21% ), FBI (19%), ATF (7%), Local (4%). See Figure 3.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In July 2024, no 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.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In July 2024, 1670 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during July 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 July.
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 July 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 890 1 1 1 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 436 2 2 2 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 105 3 3 3 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 31 5 5 4 More 46 USC 70503 - Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US 30 6 6 5 More 46 USC 70506 - Penalties 19 7 7 7 More 21 USC 963 - Attempt and conspiracy 18 8 8 6 More 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 7 9 42 38 More 18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements or entries generally 6 10 23 25 More 18 USC 1791 - Providing or possessing contraband in prison 6 10 13 13 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 was "Importation of controlled substances" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 952. "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 400 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 that involves " Fraud by wire, radio, or television ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 400 % — 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 47.5 percent — was " Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US " (Title 46 U.S.C Section 70503 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 41.2 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 July 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 601.3 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 Cal, S 5,731 165 1 1 1 More Okla, N 3,058 28 2 79 70 More D. C. 3,037 17 3 77 91 More Ark, E 2,416 33 4 28 27 More Vermont 2,225 12 5 73 60 More Mo, E 2,018 49 6 14 20 More N Dakota 2,002 13 7 21 35 More Okla, E 1,948 12 8 86 91 More S Dakota 1,607 12 9 49 52 More Oregon 1,528 54 10 38 56 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Southern District of California (San Diego) — with 5731 convictions as compared with 601.3 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during July 2024. The Southern District of California (San Diego) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 for most frequent use five years ago.
The Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa) ranked 2nd.
District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis), now ranked 6th , and North Dakota at 7th In the same order, these districts ranked 14th and 21st one year ago and 20th and 35th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions compared to one year ago — 256.7 percent — was Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 167.5 percent — when compared with five years ago.
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions — 40.6 percent — was North Dakota . But over the past five years, Vermont showed the largest drop — 44.2 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 July 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Olvera, Jose Rolando, Jr. Texas, S 34 1 5 39 More Delgado-Colon, Aida M. Puer Rico 25 2 12 23 More Lopez, Linda Cal, S 22 3 12 - More Crane, Randy Texas, S 18 4 35 27 More Drozd, Dale A. Cal, E 17 5 48 79 More Bashant, Cynthia Ann Cal, S 17 5 9 21 More White, Ronnie Lee Mo, E 17 5 58 114 More Hernandez, Marco Antonio Oregon 13 8 90 305 More Carreņo-Coll, Silvia Luisa Puer Rico 13 8 6 - More Mazzant, Amos L. Texas, E 13 8 83 119 More Rodriguez, Fernando, Jr. Texas, S 13 8 10 39 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 4 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. (Because of ties, there were a total of 11 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Jose Rolando Olvera, Jr. in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 1st with 34 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions. Judge Olvera also appeared in the top ten rankings one year ago (ranked 5).
Judge Aida M. Delgado-Colon in the District of Puerto Rico ranked 2nd with 25 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judge Linda Lopez in the Southern District of California (San Diego) ranked 3rd with 22 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Report Generated: September 9, 2024
