Statistics about federal drug trafficking

Federal drug trafficking charges can turn your world upside down. These cases often take months to build and involve multiple law enforcement agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration or even the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

According to the United States Sentencing Commission, there were 22,215 drug trafficking cases in 2013. Six drug types made up 97 percent of those cases. Those drug types were:

— Powder cocaine (24.1 percent)

— Meth (24 percent)

— Marijuana (21.5 percent)

— Crack cocaine (13.1 percent)

— Heroin (9.8 percent)

— Oxycodone (4.6 percent)

The average sentence handed down to defendants who pleaded guilty or were convicted was 72 months. Just over half had a significant criminal history. All defendants but about 14 percent were male and 35 was the average age of the defendants when they were sentenced.

These are just a few of the numbers put out by the USSC for 2013. Even though there weren’t as many drug trafficking offenses in 2013 as there was in 2012, these offenses were responsible for 30.4 percent of all offenses in 2013.

If you think you are being investigated for drug trafficking, you need a reputable criminal defense attorney with experience in federal crimes. At the Marcilliat & Mills PLLC Team, we know that in some cases, mistakes are made by the police that could violate your rights — especially in the initial stages of your case. We can challenge evidence, especially in cases of illegal search and seizure. We will protect your rights will building a strong defense strategy for you case. To learn more, please visit our webpage on drug trafficking.