New Area U.S. Attorney Sworn In

By Selina Xia Zamacois

HOUSTON — Aaron Reitz officially took office Wednesday as the new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, one of the nation’s largest and busiest federal districts. U.S. District Judge Nicholas J. Ganjei administered the oath during a ceremony in Houston.

Reitz said he intends to take an assertive approach to federal enforcement across the region. The Southern District covers 43 counties including the following counties around our area:

• Austin County
• Brazos County
• Colorado County
• Fayette County
• Fort Bend County
• Grimes County
• Harris County
• Madison County
• Montgomery County
• San Jacinto County
• Houston Division
• Austin County
• Brazos County
• Colorado County
• Fayette County
• Fort Bend County
• Grimes County
• Harris County
• Madison County
• Montgomery County
• San Jacinto County
• Walker County
• Waller County
• Wharton County

“Our office will relentlessly combat violent crime, illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, corruption, and fraud,” Reitz said. “We will faithfully uphold the rule of law and protect the public. Things are about to get very bad for criminals in the Southern District of Texas.”

Reitz joins the office after working in private practice at Hance Scarborough LLP, where he represented clients in litigation and investigations before federal and state courts and agencies. He also advised corporations, executives, and public entities on complex constitutional, regulatory, administrative, and commercial disputes.

Before entering private practice, Reitz served as the presidentially appointed, Senate‑confirmed head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy. In that role, he helped develop major DOJ policy initiatives, coordinated department‑wide regulatory actions, and served as a primary policy advisor to the U.S. Attorney General. He also oversaw the vetting of candidates for federal judgeships and worked closely with the White House and Senate during the nomination and confirmation process.

Reitz previously served as Senator Ted Cruz’s chief of staff, overseeing teams responsible for domestic policy, legislative operations, communications, and committee work across Commerce, Judiciary, and Foreign Relations.

He also worked as deputy attorney general for legal strategy under Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, directing high‑impact litigation on issues including immigration, election integrity, federal‑state relations, consumer protection, and constitutional matters

Reitz clerked for now‑Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock on the Texas Supreme Court and later practiced corporate and commercial litigation in Houston and Austin. He is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, where he served as president of the Texas Federalist Society and editor in chief of the Texas Review of Law & Politics.

Before attending law school, Reitz spent nearly five years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, deploying to Afghanistan’s northern Helmand Province and working alongside the Afghan National Army. He continues to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve as a major.

As U.S. Attorney, Reitz now leads federal law enforcement efforts across a district that covers 43 counties, 44,000 square miles, and more than 10 million residents. The Southern District of Texas includes seven federal court divisions:

• Houston
• Galveston
• Victoria
• Corpus Christi
• Brownsville
• McAllen
• Laredo

The district routinely prosecutes more cases than most U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, handling major caseloads involving border security, trafficking, public corruption, and violent crime.