In fiscal year 2024, the United States Sentencing Commission received information about 61,678 cases. Of those, 18,150 were related to drugs. Drug trafficking was involved in 18,029 of those cases. Felonies are classified according to the severity of the crime and the penalties involved, which focus on punishment.Â
Drug trafficking is actually one of the most serious types of drug offenses, and it is primarily considered a felony. This definition results in very harsh penalties, including long prison sentences, substantial fines, and the possibility of a permanent criminal record.
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^5@F865H2C5D=2H]4@>^3=@8^4@>>@?\EJA6D\@7\5CF8\4C:>6D\:?\?@CE9\42C@=:?2^QmkDA2?m(92E 4=2DD 76=@?J :D 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 :? }rk^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m2?5 @E96C DE2E6Dn sCF8 EC277:4<:?8 :? }r :D 2=H2JD 2 76=@?J Wr=2DD r[ s[ t[ u[ v[ @C wX[ 56A6?5:?8 @? H92E 5CF8 2?5 9@H >F49 :D :?G@=G65[ 2?5 6249 4=2DD 4@>6D H:E9 >2?52E@CJ ;2:= E:>6 2?5 7:?6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m{6E’D 7:?5 @FE 9@H 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 364@>6D 2 76=@?J 2?5 H92E 92AA6?D H96? @?6 :D 492C865 H:E9 DF49 2 4C:>6]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m&?56CDE2?5:?8 sCF8 %C277:4<:?8k^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?msCF8 EC277:4<:?8 :D 567:?65 2D E96 HC@?87F= EC256 @7 :==682= @C 4@?EC@==65 DF3DE2?46D] %96J 2C6 8C2G6 4C:>6D H:E9 2? 2DD@CE>6?E @7 4@?D6BF6?46D] ~?6 >2J ?@E C62=:K6 9@H 566A E96:C :>A24E 4@F=5 36 @? 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?msCF8 EC277:4<:?8 42CC:6D C:D<D 7@C 5CF8 562=6CD[ E96:C 72>:=:6D[ 2?5 E96 7C:6?5D @7 E9@D6 5CF8 562=6CD] t?E:C6 ?6:893@C9@@5D 42? 36 27764E65 E@@] %96 EC256 7665D G:@=6?46[ 255:4E:@?[ 2?5 A@G6CEJ[ 7@DE6C:?8 2 H@C=5\56A6?56?E 4J4=6]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m*@F >:89E 92G6 76=E E92E FC86 E@ 7:E :?[ 3FE 86EE:?8 277:=:2E65 H:E9 E9:D H@C=5 42? 92G6 E6CC:3=6 @FE4@>6D] *@F ?665 E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E 8@6D :?E@ 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8] z?@H:?8 E96 52?86CD H:== 2==@H J@F E@ >2<6 :?7@C>65 564:D:@?D E92E =625 E@ 962=E9:6C H2JD E@ 4@??64E 2?5 36=@?8 :?DE625 @7 7@==@H:?8 D46?2C:@D E92E >2J CF:? J@FC 7FEFC6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m{682= r=2DD:7:42E:@?D @7 sCF8 rC:>6Dk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?m%96 4=2DD:7:42E:@? @7 5CF8 4C:>6D E6?5D E@ G2CJ 2>@?8 =2HD 2?5 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 ;FC:D5:4E:@? F?56C H9:49 E96J 6I:DE] sCF8 @776?D6D 4@?DE:EFE6 A@DD6DD:@?[ 5:DEC:3FE:@?[ 2?5 >2?F724EFC:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m!@DD6DD:@? FDF2==J >62?D FD:?8 5CF8D J@FCD6=7[ H96C62D 5:DEC:3FE:@? >62?D D6==:?8 E96>] |2?F724EFC:?8 4@?46C?D E96 4C62E:@? @7 E96D6 :==:4:E DF3DE2?46D] $@>6 ;FC:D5:4E:@?D >:89E 566> E96D6 >:D56>62?@CD[ 3FE :? D6C:@FD 42D6D[ 76=@?:6D 8C62E=J 27764E J@FC =:76]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mu24E@CD DF49 2D 5CF8 EJA6[ BF2?E:EJ[ 2?5 C6A62E @776?D6D 2C6 =:<6=J E@ 8@ :?E@ E96D6 4=2DD:7:42E:@?D] z?@H:?8 H96C6 J@F DE2?5 =682==J 96=AD J@F :? >2<:?8 4C:E:42= 564:D:@?D 2?5 :?DE:==D 2 D6?D6 @7 36=@?8:?8 H:E9 4@>>F?:E:6D 724:?8 D:>:=2C 492==6?86D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m*@F 42? 36 J@FC 25G@42E6 :7 J@F =62C? 9@H E96D6 =2HD H@C< E@86E96C]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mu24E@CD x?7=F6?4:?8 u6=@?J $E2EFDk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?m'2C:@FD 724E@CD >2J 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ E96 4=2DD:7:42E:@? @7 2 5CF8 4C:>6 2D 2 76=@?J] %96 <:?5 @7 5CF8D :?G@=G65[ 4@FA=65 H:E9 E96:C BF2?E:EJ[ :D :>A@CE2?E] $6C:@FD 5CF8 4C:>6D @C A@DD6DD:@? @7 6?@C>@FD BF2?E:E:6D H:== >@DE=J 92G6 92CD96C 4=2DD:7:42E:@?D]Â k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m*@FC C6AFE2E:@? H:== 2=D@ 36 E2<6? :?E@ 244@F?E] w2G:?8 AC6G:@FD 492C86D >2J H@CD6? J@FC D:EF2E:@?] %96 AFCA@D6 @7 E96 24E:G:EJ :D 2?@E96C 724E@C E92E H:== 36 =@@<65 :?E@] x7 :E :D AC@G6? E92E J@FC 5CF8\C6=2E65 24E H2D 7@C 5:DEC:3FE:@? AFCA@D6D @E96C E92? D6=7\FD6[ :E H:== AC@323=J =2?5 J@F H:E9 76=@?J 492C86D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mp44@C5:?8 E@k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>?3;FDE:46]4@>^>45@?@F89\76=@?J\=2HJ6C^QmkDA2?m76=@?J =2HJ6C $F6D2? p] |:==6Ck^DA2?mk^2mkDA2?m[ 2 76=@?J 4@?G:4E:@? :D 6IEC6>6=J D6C:@FD 2?5 >2J C6DF=E :? D6G6C6 A6?2=E:6D :7 J@F 2C6 4@?G:4E65[ C682C5=6DD @7 H96E96C E96 4C:>6 72==D F?56C E96 ;FC:D5:4E:@? @7 E96 DE2E6 @C 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?Ek^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m*@F 42? 562= H:E9 =682= AC@3=6>D 36EE6C :7 J@F <?@H E96 C6=6G2?E =2HD] *@F 42? AC6G6?E E96 4@?D6BF6?46D @7 2 76=@?J 492C86 :7 J@F DE2J :?7@C>65 2?5 :?G@=G65 :? J@FC 4@>>F?:EJ]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m!@E6?E:2= !6?2=E:6D 7@C sCF8 %C277:4<:?8k^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?msCF8 EC277:4<:?8 :D 2 G6CJ D6C:@FD 4C:>6[ 2?5 E96C6 2C6 >2?J 724E@CD E92E 8@ :?E@ 2 D6?E6?4:?8] %96 H@CDE 42D6D 42? 3C:?8 D6?E6?46D @7 @G6C `_ J62CD :? AC:D@? H:E9 967EJ 7:?6D 4@?E:?86?E @? E96 EJA6 2?5 E96 2>@F?E @7 ?2C4@E:4D :?G@=G65] x7 @?6 D6==D 5CF8D :? D>2==6C 2>@F?ED[ E96J 4@F=5 36 =@@<:?8 2E E:>6 :? ;2:=[ H9:49 >2J 36 4@?D:56C23=J =6DD E92? E92E @7 D6==:?8 =2C86C 2>@F?ED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mx7 D@>6@?6 92D 366? 4@?G:4E65 367@C6[ E96 AF?:D9>6?ED E6?5 E@ 36 92CD96C] p?@E96C A@DD:3=6 AF?:D9>6?E 7@C 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 :D E96 :?EC@5F4E:@? @7 >:?:>F> @3=:82E@CJ D6?E6?46D[ H9:49 2C6 G6CJ DEC:4E 2?5 5@?VE 2==@H 7@C >F49 =6?:6?4J] q6:?8 4@?G:4E65 42? 8C62E=J 27764E J@FC 6>A=@J>6?E AC@DA64ED 2?5 E96 ?2EFC6 @7 J@FC C6=2E:@?D9:AD]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m'2C:2E:@?D :? sCF8 {2HD p4C@DD yFC:D5:4E:@?Dk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?msCF8 A@=:4:6D >:89E 36 G6CJ 5:776C6?E 7C@> @?6 A=246 E@ 2?@E96C] x? @?6 DE2E6[ 2 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 :?5:4E>6?E H@F=5 ?@E 36 2 3:8 562=[ 3FE :? 2?@E96C[ :E 4@F=5 36 2 =@?8 AC:D@? D6?E6?46] $@>6 DE2E6D 7@4FD @? 96=A:?8 E96 244FD65 86E H6== :?DE625 @7 AF?:D9:?8 E96>]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mp >2?52E@CJ >:?:>F> D6?E6?46 >:89E AFE J@F :? ;2:= 7@C 2 =6?8E9J A6C:@5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m*@F D9@F=5 <?@H E96 =2HD :? J@FC 2C62 2?5 86E =682= 96=A H96? J@F ?665 :E] x7 J@F <?@H J@FC ;FC:D5:4E:@?[ J@F >:89E 36 23=6 E@ A=2? 9@H E@ 255C6DD 5CF8 EC277:4<:?8 2==682E:@?D :? 2 D>2CE H2J]k^DA2?mk^Am
