President Trump Tells NM US Attorney Uballez You’re Fired!

Albuquerque –

Moments ago, U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced his resignation at the request of newly elected President Donald J. Trump. Uballez became one of over 20 U.S. Attorneys so far asked to step down amid the transition of presidential administrations.

“Today, I say farewell to a Department that I love,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Together, we have made our community safer by delivering swift and certain justice to the most prolific violent offenders, human and drug traffickers, and child abusers. We have saved lives by intervening to prevent violence and by supporting those who strive to return to our community from incarceration. Most importantly, we fought to build a community united in the pursuit of justice for all by choosing prevention before punishment, delivering consequences but not indignity, and seeking redemption not isolation.”

Uballez was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on January 26, 2022, and confirmed by the Senate on May 17, 2022. Uballez focused on restructuring the office’s approach to violent crime throughout his tenure. He engaged in proactive measures through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, working in partnership with Albuquerque Community Safety’s Violence Intervention Program, to engage directly and personally with those most likely to shoot or be shot. For those who chose violence, he realigned federal law enforcement to focus on the danger of the individual, not the nature of the charge, and in doing so wielded federal jurisdiction surgically against those driving violence in our community. And he established the District’s first Federal Reentry Program in order to support people returning to our community from incarceration.

Uballez’s other efforts included expanding resources and services to Tribal communities and modernizing the U.S. Attorney’s Office by transitioning it from a paper file system to digital, enhancing operational efficiency and responsiveness in federal prosecutions.

“Alex Uballez has served the people of New Mexico with honor and distinction as U.S. Attorney and has been an incredible partner in our mission to protect the American public,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque field office. “Throughout his time as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Uballez has been dedicated to ensuring the safety of the citizens in our community and relentless in his pursuit of justice for victims of crime. There is no doubt his work has made a positive impact on our community. It’s been a privilege to work with Mr. Uballez, we thank him for his service and wish him well in his future endeavors.“

“It has been a pleasure to partner with District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez.” said Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “U.S. Attorney Uballez’s dedication to upholding the law and ensuring violent criminals are held responsible for their crimes has been in lock step with ATF’s mission. The ultimate goal of ATF and all law enforcement throughout the State of New Mexico is to ensure that the great citizens of New Mexico can feel safe and secure in their communities. US Attorney Uballez was in steadfast with this goal, and I truly believe he leaves his position having made New Mexico a safer place then when he took the position.” 

“I had the privilege of working with Alex, first as an Assistant United Sates Attorney and later as the United States Attorney,” said Margaret A. Katze, Federal Public Defender for the District of New Mexico. “Throughout his tenure, he exemplified honesty and a straightforward approach. His focus on community safety was evident in his deliberate, data-driven prosecutorial decisions, always asking whether a case would enhance public safety. Alex’s commitment to community engagement as a crime-reduction strategy was thoughtful and research-based. Under his leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office played a key role in establishing the District’s first re-entry court. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and found our professional partnership both effective and rewarding.”

“The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office has enjoyed a strong collaboration with U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. “He has been a great leader for the people of New Mexico and we wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”

During his tenure, Uballez also served in a senior policy role at the Department of Justice, having been appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee where he advised Attorney General Merrick Garland on policy, procedure, and management impacting U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Uballez also served on subcommittees specializing in Native American issues, violent and organized crime, environmental justice, and border and immigration. Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Uballez was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, focusing on organized crime investigations and prosecuted serious offenses such as child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and violent crimes. As a line attorney, Uballez also handled the extradition of high-profile cartel leader Carlos Arturo Quintana, and assisted in international investigations pursuant to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties.

Following his resignation, current First Assistant U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney until a successor is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

We had previously spoke to Uballez about what would happen to current active cases if he ever left and he assured us that all pending cases would stay active no matter the leadership.