Offense Category Breakdown — Federal Wiretaps
U.S. Courts Wiretap Report, Table 3 · 2012–2024 · Federal + State Combined
Conspiracy Rise 2014→2017
+1,463%
From 30 orders to 469 in 3 years
Narcotics Decline
−62%
From 3,367 (2015) to 1,115 (2024)
Racketeering 2024 Rebound
+350%
From 28 (2023) to 126 (2024)
Grouped Bar Chart — Key Offense Categories by Year
Narcotics ÷10 for scale. All other values actual.
Conspiracy Racketeering Corruption Homicide & Assault Narcotics ÷10
2017 stands out clearly — Conspiracy bars are by far the tallest that year. The simultaneous narcotics drop after 2015 suggests a deliberate investigative reprioritization toward organized crime and conspiracy charges.
Stacked Bar Chart — Non-Narcotics Offense Mix by Year
How conspiracy, racketeering, corruption, and homicide shift in proportion over time
Conspiracy Racketeering Corruption Homicide & Assault
Composition shift: Pre-2015, homicide & assault made up the largest share of non-narcotics wiretaps. After 2015, conspiracy dominates and has remained the #1 non-narcotics offense category every year through 2024.
Source: U.S. Courts Annual Wiretap Reports, Table 3 — 2012–2024 · uscourts.gov