EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – An experienced prosecutor in the field of human trafficking and financial crimes is the new interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi on May 30 appointed Justin R. Simmons to head the regional office previously led by El Paso’s Jaime Esparza, who left federal service last February. In a little more than two years in office, Esparza oversaw 41,000 criminal prosecutions and 10,000 civil cases in the district.
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Simmons was a commercial litigator in Frisco, Texas, before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2020. As an assistant U.S. attorney, he has prosecuted cases involving transnational criminal organizations involved in drug, human trafficking and gun crimes. He has also prosecuted white-collar crimes and immigration offenses.
“The Western District of Texas has for many years been on the front lines of the fight against the narco-terrorists that have enriched themselves to the detriment of the United States,” Simmons said in a statement on Monday. “In keeping with President Trump’s priorities, we will continue to push back against their efforts by aggressively enforcing the laws of the United States. We will also continue to root out and bring to light those who would enrich themselves by perpetrating fraud on the government or individual citizens.”
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The new interim U.S. attorney for a wide judicial district that stretches from El Paso to San Antonio and from Midland to Eagle Pass, Texas, has held leadership roles in a human trafficking task force and in effort to help senior citizens become victims of fraud.
Simmons also served as Suspicious Activities Reports (SAR) coordinator for the Western District of Texas. That’s a role that involves investigating potential money laundering and terrorist financing by individuals or businesses and preventing the flow of illicit funds in the financial system, according to the DOJ website.
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“Our civil litigators will continue with their important work representing the interests of the United States in our federal courts,” Simmons said in the statement, emphasizing interagency cooperation. “Hand in hand with our law enforcement partners, we will do our part to make the Western District a place where the American people cannot just survive but thrive. I look forward to leading in this effort.”…