Alamdar Hamdani, the first Asian American U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, is stepping down after two years. Hamdani’s tenure saw significant progress in reducing violent crime and combating fentanyl trafficking in Houston.
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Alamdar Hamdani, the first Asian American U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said he was stepping down on January 19. He had been in office for two years and worked to reduce serious crime and fight public corruption. When Hamdani was appointed in December 2022, he knew that U.S. attorneys often quit when a president changes office, especially if the new government is from the opposite party.
The number of killings in Houston dropped by 20% under his watch, from 429 in 2022 to 343 in 2023. Hamdani said that the drop in crime rates in the city was due to a Department of Justice program that targeted violent criminals. In his office, cases involving illegal guns, gang activity, and high-profile drug dealing were brought to justice.
He said, "If you are a violent gang in Houston, know what we've done." He used actions against the Rich Kingz and the 100% Third Ward (103) Gang as examples. In August, federal and state police nabbed more than 65 people they thought were criminals, took 130 guns, and took $1.3 million that was linked to criminal activities.
Hamdani also made fighting fentanyl trafficking a top priority. He was able to bring charges against drug sellers and a Chinese citizen who was accused of smuggling chemicals used to make the opioid.
When Hamdani thought back on his time in office, he said that some of his goals were to deal with threats to national security, white-collar crimes, and public corruption while also making neighborhoods safer. Houston's violent crime rates are still going down, but he is leaving behind a notable impact for his office.
