FILE PHOTO: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) federal agents patrol at Union Station after U.S. President Donald Trump announced federal take over of the Metropolitan Police Department under the Home Rule Act to assist in crime prevention in the nation's capital, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The number of people charged with breaking federal drug laws dropped to the lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration orderedenforcement agencies to focus on deporting immigrants, a Reuters review of nearly 2 million federal court records found.
So far this year, about 10% fewer people have been prosecuted for drug violations compared to the same period of 2024, court records show, a drop of about 1,200 cases and the slowest rate since at least the late 1990s. The pullback was more dramatic for the types of conspiracy and money-laundering cases often used to pursue higher-level traffickers. The number of people charged with money-laundering dropped by 24%, according to Reuters' analysis.
