> ## 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 Powder Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-powder-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:11:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:11:48.000Z - Description: In fiscal year 2023, federal courts sentenced 3,347 people for powder cocaine trafficking, with a median prison term of 60 months (5 years). That median was lower than the 65 months for all drug trafficking cases sentenced under guideline §2D1.1 that year. A mandatory minimum applied to 71% of powde - 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/) › Powder Cocaine: FY2023 **In brief:** In fiscal year 2023, federal courts sentenced 3,347 people for powder cocaine trafficking, with a median prison term of 60 months (5 years). That median was lower than the 65 months for all drug trafficking cases sentenced under guideline §2D1.1 that year. A mandatory minimum applied to 71% of powder cocaine cases, compared with 65% for all drugs. 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 3,347 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2023\. 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/). ## Powder Cocaine Compared With All Drug Trafficking All §2D1.1 trafficking sentences in fiscal year 2023 came to 18,640 people across every drug type. Of them, 3,347 had powder cocaine recorded as the primary drug. The all-drug median prison term was 65 months. The powder cocaine median was 60 months, which is lower. A mandatory minimum applied more often for powder cocaine (71%) than for all drugs (65%). Both sets of figures come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced. ## The Range of Prison Terms Prison was part of the sentence for 3,255 people (97%). For 67 people (2%), the sentence was probation only, without prison or other confinement. There were 2 life sentences. The median is the middle prison term, 60 months. The top quarter of terms were 90 months or more. The bottom quarter were 30 months or less. Between those points are the middle prison terms for the year. ## Statutory Minimum Terms Federal drug laws set minimum prison terms that the court generally cannot go below. These minimums applied to 2,378 people sentenced for powder cocaine in fiscal year 2023. A minimum is usually triggered by the drug quantity charged. Some people subject to a minimum can still receive a lower term if they meet a legal exception, such as a government motion. The sheet does not show how many people received a term below their minimum. ## Sentences and the Guideline Range Of 3,345 sentences with guideline range information, 1,042 (31%) were within the recommended range. The government asked for a below-range term in 1,255 cases (38%), the largest group. Without a government request, judges went below the range in 998 cases (30%). Only 50 sentences (1%) were above the range. ## Pleas and Trials in Fiscal Year 2023 A guilty plea resolved 3,269 cases (98%). A trial ended in conviction for 78 people. The median prison term was 57 months after a guilty plea. It was 139.5 months after a trial, based on all 78 people convicted at trial. The trial cases and plea cases differ in ways the sheet does not measure, so the gap describes groups and not individual choices. Written plea agreements were used in 91% of guilty pleas. Straight pleas, with no agreement, were 9%. ## Supervision, Fines, Restitution, and Prior Record Supervised release was ordered for 3,175 people (95%) to follow prison. Its median length in fiscal year 2023 was 36 months. Supervision for life was ordered for 2 people (less than 1%). Fines were ordered in 146 cases (4%), and restitution in 12 (less than 1%). Criminal history category I, the lowest, included 63% of people. Category VI, the highest, included 6%. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 3,642 | 60 months | 97% | | 2017 | 3,796 | 60 months | 97% | | 2018 | 3,523 | 60 months | 97% | | 2019 | 3,430 | 60 months | 97% | | 2020 | 2,519 | 57 months | 98% | | 2021 | 2,763 | 60 months | 98% | | 2022 | 3,303 | 60 months | 98% | | 2023 | 3,347 | 60 months | 98% | | 2024 | 3,323 | 60 months | 98% | | 2025 | 2,915 | 60 months | 98% | ## What the Figures Do Not Cover For fiscal years 2016 through 2025, 32,561 people were sentenced for powder cocaine trafficking, with a median prison term of 60 months and a mandatory minimum in 69% of cases. The table shows each year separately. Acquittals and dismissals are not in the data. Fiscal year 2023 ran from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023\. Court-martial records do not count drug type, so no military figure appears here; drug distribution courts-martial are compared in other posts. ### How We Counted People sentenced in fiscal year 2023 whose primary guideline was §2D1.1 and whose primary drug type was cocaine (3,347), 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 Powder Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-powder-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2022/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Powder Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-powder-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2024/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-methamphetamine-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-heroin-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fentanyl-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Marijuana Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-marijuana-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Crack Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-crack-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Other Drug Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-other-drug-trafficking-sentences-fy2023/) (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.