West Texas (KMID/KPEJ)– Jaime Esparza was sworn in late Friday afternoon as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas.

The position involves being the chief federal law enforcement officer in the region. The role prosecutes violations of federal law and represents the federal government in civil cases where the United States is a party. The Western District of Texas includes 68 counties and is responsible for more than six million residents.

“I’ve been proud to dedicate the past four decades of my life to justice within the state of Texas and will continue to ensure we hold accountable those who seek to harm vulnerable victims and obstruct the American way of life,” said Esparza.

U.S. Attorney Esparza served as the District Attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas from 1993 to 2020. He is also credited with creating the Domestic Violence 24-hour Project, with the goal of bringing more focus and support to victims of domestic abuse. He also introduced the District Attorney Information Management System, which reduced arrests and saved millions of dollars for El Paso County.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas employs more than 300 people and has staffed offices in Austin, Alpine, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Waco and San Antonio.