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