Federal Prosecutor Andrew Haden Found Dead in San Diego Office
Federal prosecutor Andrew Haden found dead in San Diego office building; U.S. Attorney's Office closed.
Event / Security
US Attorney Andrew Haden Death
Andrew Haden, the No. 2 official in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, was found dead on August 19, 2025, in the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in San Diego. Haden was a 16-year career federal prosecutor who had served as acting U.S. attorney during two transition periods.
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2026-08-22 to 2026-11-09 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 22 Aug, 05:21 UTC
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What happened
Andrew Haden was 16-year veteran federal prosecutor with extensive background
Andrew Haden joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California in 2010 through the Attorney General's Honors Program and served for 16 years. He prosecuted cases involving violent crime, racketeering, drug trafficking, immigration offenses, child exploitation, cyberstalking, and firearms offenses. He previously ran the Violent Crimes & Human Trafficking Section and the Criminal Division. In 2024, he received the Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award from the Federal Bar Association.
Andrew Haden earned law degree from University of San Diego
Andrew Haden earned his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was later an adjunct professor. He also earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and served as a law clerk to Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the U.S. District Court in San Diego.
U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego closed following staff member's death
The U.S. attorney's office in San Diego was effectively closed on August 21, 2025, as staff coped with the death of Andrew Haden, an Assistant U.S. Attorney who served in the office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden found dead in San Diego federal building
Andrew Haden, 48, the No. 2 official in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, was discovered dead in a vacant office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building on August 19, 2025. The San Diego Police Department received a call regarding a potentially missing person. Police found no evidence of foul play. The county Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause and manner of death.
Andrew Haden served as acting U.S. attorney during two transition periods
Andrew Haden served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California twice: from August 2023 to October 2023, and from February 2025 to April 2025. He served in these roles during transitions between full-time leaders before U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Andrew Haden was U.S. Navy veteran with military deployments
Andrew Haden served as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy from 2000 to 2005. He was deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Joint Task Force Liberia.
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