Southern District of Texas

Two Trump judicial nominees, John Marck and Arthur 'Rob' Jones, have advanced to the full Senate for confirmation votes. Their confirmation would reduce judicial vacancies in the Houston-based Southern District of Texas by half, which has a caseload per judge significantly higher than the national average.

The Southern District of Texas filed 285 immigration and border security-related cases from May 29 to June 4. This reflects increased enforcement actions during the first week of June.

Jennifer Lowery, former US attorney for the Southern District of Texas, has been charged with felony failure to stop and render aid following a hit-and-run crash in Houston. The charges stem from her alleged involvement in a vehicle accident where she reportedly left the scene without providing assistance.

A 41-year-old Cuban national was extradited from Panama to Houston to face charges including sex trafficking, extortion, and cyberstalking. He allegedly used threats and violence to coerce four Cuban nationals into commercial sex acts for financial gain. The case was investigated by a Homeland Security Task Force.

A Chinese hacker, Xu Zewei, accused of stealing COVID-19 research from U.S. institutions in a 2020-2021 cyberattack, has been extradited to the U.S. from Italy to face federal charges. The FBI and Justice Department allege he acted under direction from China's Ministry of State Security, targeting universities and researchers to access sensitive data.