Largest Increase in AUSAs in Decades
OKLAHOMA CITY - On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Robert J. Troester, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the nation to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly-created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force, which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
"Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis-and today we are sending in reinforcements," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades."
Three of these new positions have been allocated to the Western District of Oklahoma. Two will focus on violent crime, while one will focus on civil enforcement.
"Adding three new prosecutors will significantly enhance our ability to pursue key Administration priorities," said Acting U.S. Attorney Troester. "Those priorities include our work to combat and reduce violent crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods and fight the illegal distribution of opioids, whether by street dealers or those in the medical community, through our Western Oklahoma Opioid Enforcement Team. These new positions will certainly strengthen our ability to reduce violent crime and promote public safety in communities throughout the Western District of Oklahoma."
For more information on the locations of the 311 Assistant United States Attorney positions, see the attached document.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
