New U.S. Attorney warns drug cartels of ‘no impunity’ — but can tough talk fix a broken system?
The new appointee is an expert in fentanyl-fighting strategies and warns there will be no impunity at the border
Adam Gordon has been named the new United States Attorney for the Southern District of California
Adam Gordon has been appointed as the new United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, one of the nation’s busiest federal jurisdictions, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties.
His appointment was made official this week by Judge Cynthia A. Bashant during a private ceremony in San Diego.
Gordon, 43, is a career prosecutor with experience in violent crime and drug trafficking. He has received national recognition for leading strategies to combat the fentanyl crisis. His appointment was made by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
During his speech, Gordon expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him and stated that organized crime would not be allowed to operate with impunity at the border. “Criminal chaos and a lack of consequences cannot prevail,” he said.
Since 2019, Gordon has worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the same office, where he coordinated the criminal response to opioid trafficking. He was one of the creators of the FAST task force, launched in 2022 to target fentanyl distribution in San Diego County. The model has since been replicated in other parts of the country.
Gordon has also prosecuted overdose-related homicide cases, including that of a 13-year-old boy in Coronado. Before entering federal service, he was a state prosecutor in San Diego and worked in the private sector between 2014 and 2018. He is a Harvard graduate and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia.
