> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-northern-district-of-texas/ - Published: 2026-11-04T10:34:14.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T10:34:14.000Z - Description: Drug trafficking was 44% of the 14,591 people sentenced in the Northern District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025: 6,378 people. The median prison term was 108 months (9 years), compared with 60 months for drug trafficking in all 94 federal districts together and 60 months for all offenses in t - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-texas/) › Drug Trafficking: Northern District of Texas **In brief:** Drug trafficking was 44% of the 14,591 people sentenced in the Northern District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025: 6,378 people. The median prison term was 108 months (9 years), compared with 60 months for drug trafficking in all 94 federal districts together and 60 months for all offenses in this district. Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 6,378 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/). ## The Largest Offense Type in the District 6,378 of the 14,591 people sentenced in this district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were in the Sentencing Commission's "Drug Trafficking" offense type. That is 44%. The figures count only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in the data. ## Prison Terms and Life Sentences 6,268 people (98%) received a prison term, and 99 (2%) received probation only. The median prison term was 108 months. A quarter received 168 months or more, and a quarter received 60 months or less. 17 people received a life sentence. Across all 94 districts, 185,188 people were sentenced for drug trafficking, 96% were sent to prison, and the median was 60 months. These are terms imposed, not time served. ## Trial Terms Were Longer 6,278 people (98%) pleaded guilty, and 100 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 108 months after a guilty plea and 264 months after a trial. The trial figure rests on 99 people sent to prison. The numbers show that the groups differ in sentence length. They do not show why. People who go to trial may face different charges or facts than people who plead guilty. Among the guilty pleas, 85% had a written plea agreement and 15% were straight pleas with no agreement. ## Mandatory Minimums and the Guideline Range A mandatory minimum applied to 2,063 people (32%). The guideline range is the sentencing range calculated under the federal guidelines. 3,563 sentences (56%) were within the range. 1,357 (21%) were below it at the government's request, and 1,336 (21%) were below it without a government request. 118 (2%) were above it. For drug trafficking in all 94 districts, 32% were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the share was 62%. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 582 | 120 months | 98% | | 2017 | 640 | 120 months | 97% | | 2018 | 639 | 100 months | 98% | | 2019 | 700 | 87 months | 98% | | 2020 | 634 | 105 months | 99% | | 2021 | 632 | 108 months | 98% | | 2022 | 719 | 108 months | 99% | | 2023 | 727 | 120 months | more than 99% | | 2024 | 565 | 106.5 months | 99% | | 2025 | 540 | 120 months | more than 99% | ## Which Guideline Was Used Nearly all cases used §2D1.1 (Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses)), with 6,351 people. Smaller groups used §2D1.8 (Renting or Managing a Drug Establishment) for 9, §2D1.2 (Drug Offenses Occurring Near Protected Locations or Involving Underage or Pregnant Individuals) for 7, and §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact) for 6. The records here do not name the drug in each case. ## Supervision, Fines, and Criminal History 6,183 people (97%) were ordered to serve supervised release, with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 73 (1%), and restitution for 23 (less than 1%). 38% were in the lowest criminal history category, and 13% were in the highest. ## Counts by Year and Installations 2,561 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 3,817 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The table shows yearly medians from 87 months to 120 months. A fiscal year runs from October through September. Dyess AFB, Goodfellow AFB, and Sheppard AFB are in this district. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court, and these federal numbers do not describe military cases. ### How We Counted Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of Texas (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Texas North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Drug Trafficking" (6,378). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories. Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records. ### What to Keep in Mind **No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served. **Federal supervised release.** Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial. **Who decides the sentence, and under what rules.** Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart. **Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually. **How life sentences and "time served" are counted.** In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less. **Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge. ## Related Analysis - [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article) - [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts) - [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method) - [Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-texas/) (overview) - [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-northern-district-of-texas/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-northern-district-of-texas/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-northern-district-of-texas/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Robbery Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-northern-district-of-texas/) (same district, other offense type) - [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) - [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) **About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.