The U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana (USAO-EDLA) is one of 94 U.S. Attorney's Offices nationwide and serves as the principal federal law enforcement and litigation office within the district. It is headquartered in New Orleans and maintains responsibility for federal criminal prosecution and civil litigation on behalf of the United States within the district's jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction and Geography
The Eastern District of Louisiana encompasses the New Orleans metropolitan area, the River Parishes, and the surrounding parishes of the southeastern Louisiana coast. This includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and Washington parishes. The district is home to one of the most significant port complexes in the country, a large petrochemical industry corridor, and extensive federal infrastructure — all of which generate a distinctive mix of federal criminal and civil matters.
Organizational Structure
The U.S. Attorney's Office is led by the United States Attorney, a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed official. Day-to-day operations are managed by the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, with separate divisions handling criminal, civil, and national security matters. The Criminal Division is the largest component and includes specialized units for public corruption, narcotics, violent crime, financial crimes, and cybercrime.
Notable Enforcement Priorities
The EDLA has historically pursued significant public corruption prosecutions targeting state and local officials, law enforcement personnel, and federal contractors. The district has also been active in drug trafficking prosecutions related to Gulf Coast maritime smuggling routes and in financial crimes cases tied to Louisiana's energy, maritime, and healthcare industries. Following Hurricane Katrina, the office pursued a substantial number of fraud and civil rights cases arising from the federal disaster response and post-storm law enforcement conduct.
Working With the Office
The U.S. Attorney's Office does not represent private individuals and cannot provide legal advice to members of the public. Individuals facing federal investigation or charges in the Eastern District should retain qualified federal criminal defense counsel. Court filings and public records from EDLA cases are available through the federal PACER system at pacer.uscourts.gov.