| Agency Name: | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas |
| Type: | Department |
| Seal: | Seal of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.png |
| Jurisdiction: | Southern District of Texas |
| Headquarters: | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Chief1 Name: | Alamdar S. Hamdani |
| Chief1 Position: | U.S. Attorney |
| Chief2 Name: | Jennifer Lowery |
| Chief2 Position: | Deputy U.S. Attorney |
| Parent Agency: | United States Department of Justice |
| Map: | Southern District of Texas map.png |
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is the chief federal law enforcement officer in forty-three Texas counties. Established on July 1, 1902, the office represents the United States government in criminal and civil cases across the country. The SDTX handles a broad array of cases, including but not limited to those involving white collar crime, domestic terrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, organized crime, as well as civil rights disputes.
The current United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas is Alamdar S. Hamdani. On October 14, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Hamdani to be the United States attorney for the Southern District of Texas. On November 14, 2022, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate.[1] On December 1, 2022, his nomination was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote.[2] On December 6, 2022, his nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.[3] He was sworn in by District Judge Randy Crane on December 12, 2022.[4] He is the first Asian American and Pacific Islander to serve as a U.S. Attorney in the state of Texas.[5] Hamdani was recommended to the post by Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.[6]
The office typically prosecutes more cases against more defendants than every other United States Attorney's Office nationwide, representing forty-three counties, ten million people and covering 44,000 square miles. The Southern District of Texas currently comprises seven divisions with federal district courts in Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo. The SDTX, headquartered in Houston, has branch offices in Galveston, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and Victoria to staff all seven divisions. The office employs approximately 200 assistant U.S. attorneys.[7]
The jurisdiction of the Southern District of Texas is divided as follows:
In 1857, congress created the Eastern and Western District of Texas. Texas continued to grow, and in 1879, congress formed the Northern District. As the railroads continued to expand and fuel the Texas economy, congress created the Southern District on July 1, 1902.[8]