> ## 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 Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-heroin-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:11:53.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:11:53.000Z - Description: In fiscal year 2025, 355 people were sentenced in federal court for trafficking with heroin as the primary drug, the fewest of any year from 2016 to 2025. Those sent to prison had a median prison term of 51 months (4.2 years), lower than the 72 months for all federal drug trafficking. 54% were in th - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Drug Distribution and Importation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) › Heroin: FY2025 **In brief:** In fiscal year 2025, 355 people were sentenced in federal court for trafficking with heroin as the primary drug, the fewest of any year from 2016 to 2025\. Those sent to prison had a median prison term of 51 months (4.2 years), lower than the 72 months for all federal drug trafficking. 54% were in the lowest criminal history category. Updated November 3, 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 355 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 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 Smallest Heroin Count in the Series The Sentencing Commission recorded 355 heroin trafficking sentences in fiscal year 2025\. The table shows 2,772 in fiscal year 2016 and lower counts in later years. The records count people sentenced. They do not show drug seizures, arrests, or prosecutors' choices, so they cannot explain the lower count. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 2,772 | 48 months | 98% | | 2017 | 2,661 | 51 months | 98% | | 2018 | 2,565 | 60 months | 98% | | 2019 | 2,484 | 60 months | 97% | | 2020 | 1,857 | 53.7 months | 97% | | 2021 | 1,771 | 48 months | 99% | | 2022 | 1,598 | 57 months | 98% | | 2023 | 1,005 | 54 months | 97% | | 2024 | 597 | 48 months | 97% | | 2025 | 355 | 51 months | 99% | ## Criminal History of Those Sentenced Federal sentencing places each person in a criminal history category based on prior convictions. In fiscal year 2025, 54% of heroin trafficking cases were in category I, the lowest. 10% were in category VI, the highest. Military courts-martial do not record criminal history in a comparable field. ## Prison Terms Compared With All Drugs 335 of the 355 people (94%) received a prison term. 16 (5%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. The median prison term was 51 months. A quarter received 96 months or more, and a quarter received 23 months or less. For every drug sentenced under §2D1.1 in fiscal year 2025, the Commission counted 15,950 people with a median prison term of 72 months. The heroin median was lower. ## Mandatory Minimums A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 186 heroin cases (52%). The rate for all drug trafficking that year was higher, at 58%. For heroin across fiscal years 2016 to 2025, the rate was 56% of 17,665 people, and the median prison term was 54 months. ## Only 5 Trials 350 of the 355 people (99%) pleaded guilty. 5 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 50 months. For the 5 people convicted at trial and sent to prison, it was 97 months. A median based on 5 people is not a reliable guide to trial sentences in general. 95% of guilty pleas came with a written plea agreement. 5% were straight pleas. ## Where Sentences Fell Relative to the Guidelines All 355 cases had a recorded position against the guideline range, the span of months the guidelines recommend. 160 people (45%) were sentenced below the range at the government's request. 96 (27%) were sentenced below it without a government request. 86 (24%) were sentenced within it. 13 (4%) were sentenced above it. ## Supervised Release and Financial Penalties 327 people (92%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison. The median term was 36 months. 15 people (4%) were fined, and 4 (1%) were ordered to pay restitution. ## Missing From These Records This data includes only people convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are left out. Fiscal year 2025 ran from October 1 to September 30. Heroin is the primary drug type the Commission entered for each case. Court-martial records have no countable drug type, so military drug distribution cases are compared in other posts. ### How We Counted People sentenced in fiscal year 2025 whose primary guideline was §2D1.1 and whose primary drug type was heroin (355), U.S. Sentencing Commission. 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. **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. **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. ## 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) - [Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) (overview) - [Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-heroin-trafficking-sentences-fy2024/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-methamphetamine-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Powder Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-powder-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fentanyl-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Marijuana Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-marijuana-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Crack Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-crack-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Other Drug Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-other-drug-trafficking-sentences-fy2025/) (same year, other drug) - [Drug Distribution Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-2023-sentencing-reform-so-far/) - [Drug Distribution Charges: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-acquittal-rate-vs-courts-martial/) - [§2D1.1 Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses): Federal Sentences, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-guideline-2d1-1-unlawful-manufacturing-importing-exporting-or-trafficking-including/) (court-martial data) - [Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Are Air Force Drug Courts-Martial Disappearing? Article 112a, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 112a UCMJ Drug Offenses and Positive Urinalysis](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [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.