Complete Data Reference — Federal Wiretap Reports 2012–2024
U.S. Courts Wiretap Reports · Tables 3, 7 & 9 · Color intensity reflects relative magnitude within each column
469
Conspiracy peak (2017) — up from 30 in 2014
12,415
Arrest record (2016) — 2.8x any other year
1,875
Avg persons/tap (2024) — vs 100 in 2014
+350%
Racketeering rebound — 28 (2023) → 126 (2024)
−62%
Narcotics wiretap decline from 2015 to 2024
Full Dataset — All Years & Categories

Heatmap View — Relative Intensity by Category

Conspiracy (2015–2024)
Wiretap authorizations jumped from 30 in 2014 to 469 in 2017. Even after declining, 2024's figure of 223 is still 7x the 2014 baseline — suggesting a permanent structural shift in investigative focus.
2016 Arrest Anomaly
12,415 arrests from intercepts installed in 2016 is the single most anomalous data point in the entire dataset. The next highest year is 2017 at 9,565. No single public enforcement action accounts for this volume.
Average Persons Intercepted (2024)
1,875 persons per wiretap order vs a historical average of ~115. This strongly suggests investigators are targeting large organizational networks — consistent with RICO-scale investigations.
Racketeering Rebound (2024)
After hitting a 12-year low of 28 authorizations in 2023, racketeering wiretaps surged to 126 in 2024 — a 350% jump. Combined with the persons-per-tap surge, 2024 presents the most significant late-dataset signal.
Source: U.S. Courts Annual Wiretap Reports, Tables 3, 7 & 9 (2012–2024) · uscourts.gov · Compiled May 2026