New York Drug Trafficking Statistics

Drug trafficking is a big problem in the US, and New York, because of its large population and because it is home to some of the busiest airports and seaports in the country, deals with a lot of drug-related activity. Various data are used to track drug activity in New York, such as arrests and convictions, the amount of drugs and other assets seized, and overdose deaths. It’s critical to understand some of the most recent New York drug trafficking statistics.

Who Tracks Drug Trafficking?

Several agencies coordinate in monitoring, tracking, and preventing drug crimes, as well as enforcing drug laws at the local, state, and federal levels. The most prominent agencies involved in drug law enforcement are:

• Local: New York Police Department (NYPD), District Attorneys’ (DA) offices
• State: New York State Police (NYSP), Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
• Federal: Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York (SDNY), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Arrest and Conviction Data

One of the most important kinds of data used to monitor drug trafficking is drug-related crime statistics. Here, we have broken down the most recent data available for arrests, convictions, and sentencing for felony and federal drug charges in New York City and the State of New York.

New York City had a total of 186,012 arrests. Of those, 84,542 were felony offenses. 8460 total felony drug charge arrests.

• Class A Felony Drug Charges – There were 972 Class A felony drug charge arrests in New York City, about 0.5% of total arrests and 1.2% of total felony arrests. 73 were convicted. All 73 were sentenced to prison. 49 of those were first-time offenders.
• Class B-E Felony Drug Charges – There were 7,668 Class B-E felony drug charge arrests in New York City, about 4% of total arrests and 9% of total felony arrests. 619 were convicted. 290 were sentenced to prison, 3 parole only, 139 jail, 11 split, 149 received jail or prison plus probation, and 27 received other sentences. 87 of those who were sentenced to prison were first-time offenders.

New York State had a total of 356,544 total arrests, with 143,241 felony arrests.

• Class A Felony Drug Charges – There were 1,768 Class A felony drug charge arrests in New York State, about 0.4% of total arrests and 1.2% of total felony arrests. 180 were convicted, and all 180 were sentenced to prison. 33 of those were first-time offenders.
• Class B-E Felony Drug Charges – There were 13,975 Class B-E felony drug charge arrests. 2258 were convicted. 1507 were sentenced to prison, 78 parole only, 317 jail, 126 split, 505 jail or prison plus probation, and 98 other sentences. 385 of those who were sentenced to prison were first-time offenders.

Southern New York District

The federal Southern New York District covers NYC, Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan Counties. It also covers the waters of Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond, and Suffolk Counties. The data for SDNY federal charges is slightly different in that it does not report arrests, only convictions.

There were 381 federal drug trafficking charge convictions. 367 were resolved outside of trial, and 14 went to trial. 352 of those were sentenced to prison only, 24 prison and alternatives, 3 probation and alternatives, and 2 probation only.

Amount of Drugs and Assets Seized

In the same period, the New York Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) broke up five major gun and drug trafficking rings in twenty counties. That led to 117 indictments, 84 convictions, and seizure of:

• 86 firearms
• 250 grams of heroin
• 15 kilograms of fentanyl
• 13,000 fentanyl pills
• 6.5 kilograms of cocaine
• 50 grams of meth
• 4,500 prescription pills
• $500,000 of assets

Overdose Deaths

The State of New York had 6099 total unintentional deaths from overdoses, which is a rate of 30.1 per 100,000 people. The drugs that caused the most overdose deaths in New York were:

• 5,588 opioids
• 4,768 fentanyl
• 2923 cocaine
• 578 heroin
• 529 xylazine
• 512 methamphetamine

FAQs

What Are the Top States for Drug Trafficking?

The top states for drug trafficking are consistently Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Their shared border with Mexico makes them a prime target for trafficking illegal drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. New York, Illinois, and Florida are distribution hubs, and West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania see a lot of trafficking on their interstate highways.

What Is the Overdose Rate in NYC?

In 2023, NYC’s overdose rate was 36.9 per 100,000 people, with 3,046 overdose deaths. That’s about 8.3 deaths per day or one every 3 hours. Staten Island had the highest per capita rate at 67.8 per 100,000 people, and the Bronx had 51.8 per 100,000 people. Fentanyl accounted for 80% of the overdose deaths in New York’s boroughs, often mixed with cocaine or heroin.

What Is the Sentence for Drug Trafficking in New York?

The sentence for drug trafficking in New York depends on the specific charge, as well as any additional charges like conspiracy, racketeering (RICO), firearms violations, or money laundering. In addition, the sentence will be impacted by whether the defendant has a prior criminal history, especially with drug charges or felonies. A qualified criminal defense attorney can help determine what the potential sentence could be for your specific case.

Where Does Drug Trafficking Happen the Most?

Drug trafficking in the United States happens the most in the states along the southwestern border with Mexico. Inside New York City, most of the drug trafficking happens in the Bronx and Brooklyn. In the rest of the state, Long Island, Hudson Valley, Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany see the most drug trafficking.

Contact a New York Drug Trafficking Defense Law Firm

At The Vitaliano Law Firm, our legal team has successfully litigated countless drug possession and trafficking cases in New York state and federal court. Criminal defense attorney Michael Vitaliano is a former New York City prosecutor and can bring that experience to your defense strategy. If you’re facing drug trafficking charges, contact our office today to start building your legal defense.