Guidelines Manual, Chapter TwoFY2018–FY2025
§2M5.2
Exportation of arms, munitions or military equipment without a licence · 0.2% of federal cases · Guidelines Manual
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 12–41 months; mean 28. 0 cases at the 470-month cap.
§ 2Summary
§2M5.2 (exportation of arms, munitions or military equipment without a licence) was the primary guideline in 1,183 cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.2% of all cases, with 169 in FY2025. The Commission classes most of them as national defense.
The median prison term under §2M5.2 was 27 months (2 yr 3 mo) (all cases nationally: 24 months); 90% of cases carried a prison term.
32% of sentences were within the guideline range. Of the rest, 27% were below the range on a government motion, 40% below it for other reasons and — above it. The departure and variance table below uses the Commission's nine SENTRNGE categories.
FY2025 had more cases than FY2018 (169 against 131). The median prison term in FY2025 (24 months) was shorter than in FY2018 (30 months).
§ 3Departures and variances
Within guideline range 32%Above range <10Below range, government sponsored 27%Below range, other 40%Not determinable 0
| Commission category (SENTRNGE) | Cases | Share | All cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | 382 | 32.3% | 47.4% |
| Upward departure | <10 | — | 0.5% |
| Above-range variance | <10 | — | 2.6% |
| §5K1.1 substantial assistance | 148 | 12.5% | 9.5% |
| §5K3.1 early disposition | 11 | 0.9% | 9.2% |
| Government-sponsored departure | 43 | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Government-sponsored variance | 116 | 9.8% | 8.0% |
| Downward departure | 73 | 6.2% | 2.1% |
| Below-range variance | 402 | 34.0% | 18.8% |
| Missing or indeterminable | 0 | — | — |
Shares are of cases with a determinable range status. Departures cite a provision of the Guidelines Manual; variances rest on the statutory sentencing factors (18 U.S.C. §3553(a)) after United States v. Booker.
§ 4Cases by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 131 | 88% | 30 | 27% | 22% | 50% | — |
| FY2019 | 141 | 90% | 24 | 22% | 33% | 45% | 0% |
| FY2020 | 119 | 91% | 28 | 35% | 21% | 43% | — |
| FY2021 | 159 | 93% | 30 | 44% | 22% | 34% | 0% |
| FY2022 | 118 | 85% | 25 | 32% | 25% | 42% | — |
| FY2023 | 168 | 91% | 28 | 35% | 29% | 36% | 0% |
| FY2024 | 178 | 90% | 24 | 30% | 30% | 39% | — |
| FY2025 | 169 | 94% | 24 | 33% | 30% | 36% | — |
§ 5Offence types the Commission assigns
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| National Defense | 1,183 | 100.0% |
§ 6Districts with the most cases
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern District of Texas S.D. Tex. | 433 | 96% | 26 | 38% | 18% | 43% |
| District of Arizona D. Ariz. | 295 | 81% | 24 | 14% | 37% | 49% |
| Western District of Texas W.D. Tex. | 195 | 91% | 30 | 63% | 15% | 21% |
| Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. | 46 | — | 30 | 28% | — | 57% |
| Middle District of Florida M.D. Fla. | 27 | — | 32 | — | — | 44% |
| District of New Mexico D.N.M. | 19 | — | 14 | — | — | — |
| Northern District of Georgia N.D. Ga. | 13 | — | 35 | — | — | — |
| District of Maryland D. Md. | 10 | 100% | 30 | — | — | — |
| Eastern District of Texas E.D. Tex. | 10 | 100% | 46 | — | — | — |
| Southern District of California S.D. Cal. | 10 | 100% | 15 | — | — | — |
| Eastern District of Wisconsin E.D. Wis. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Illinois N.D. Ill. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Columbia D.D.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Virginia E.D. Va. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of California N.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Jersey D.N.J. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Pennsylvania E.D. Pa. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Washington W.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
By circuit
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| First Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Second Circuit | 14 | 100% | 18 | — | — | — |
| Third Circuit | 13 | — | 24 | — | — | — |
| Fourth Circuit | 25 | — | 30 | — | — | 40% |
| Fifth Circuit | 639 | 94% | 30 | 46% | 17% | 36% |
| Sixth Circuit | 11 | 100% | 18 | 0% | — | — |
| Seventh Circuit | 18 | — | 21 | — | — | — |
| Eighth Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Ninth Circuit | 330 | 82% | 24 | 14% | 39% | 46% |
| Tenth Circuit | 29 | — | 20 | — | 38% | 41% |
| Eleventh Circuit | 89 | — | 32 | 28% | 26% | 46% |
§ 7Questions and answers
What is §2M5.2?
Section 2M5.2 of the Guidelines Manual: exportation of arms, munitions or military equipment without a licence. On this site a case is counted under a guideline when the Commission records it as the primary guideline (GDLINEHI) applied at sentencing.
What is the typical sentence under §2M5.2?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 27 months (2 yr 3 mo), with the middle half between 12 and 41 months.
How often do sentences under §2M5.2 depart or vary from the range?
68% of sentences were outside the guideline range. Substantial-assistance motions under §5K1.1 accounted for 13% and below-range variances for 34%.
Which districts see the most §2M5.2 cases?
the Southern District of Texas (433), the District of Arizona (295) and the Western District of Texas (195).
§ 8Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Guideline is the Commission's GDLINEHI field (primary guideline applied). Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.