Andrew Haden U.S. Attorney has become a widely searched topic following the death of the longtime federal prosecutor in San Diego. Haden, 48, was found dead inside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building on August 19, 2026, after San Diego police received a report about a missing man. Authorities said they do not suspect foul play, while the Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the official cause and manner of death.
Haden spent about 16 years with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. During that time, he moved through several important prosecutorial and leadership positions. He twice served as acting U.S. attorney during leadership transitions, first in 2023 and again in 2025.
His death has drawn attention throughout San Diego’s legal community because of his long federal career and his role in some of the district’s major criminal cases.
Who Was Andrew Haden?
Andrew R. Haden was a career federal prosecutor who built his professional life in San Diego.
He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California in 2010. Over the following years, he handled federal criminal matters and took on increasingly senior responsibilities.
Haden was raised in San Diego and attended University City High School. He later graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
His path to federal prosecution also included military service. Haden served as a U.S. Navy officer for five years and completed two overseas deployments.
After his military service, he attended the University of San Diego School of Law. He later worked as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the Southern District of California.
That background gave Haden experience in military service, legal practice and federal court proceedings before he began his long career as a federal prosecutor.
A Long Career With the Southern District of California
Haden entered the Southern District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010 through the Justice Department’s Attorney General’s Honors Program.
His early assignments included work in the General Crimes Section. He later took on positions involving more complex criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Over the years, Haden served in several leadership roles, including deputy chief positions within major criminal sections.
He eventually became chief of the Violent Crimes & Human Trafficking Section. He also served as chief of the Criminal Division.
Those roles placed him among the office’s senior prosecutors. They involved cases covering serious federal crimes and required coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Haden’s work also included prosecutions involving firearms, violent offenses, human trafficking and crimes involving children.
His career progression showed a steady move from courtroom work into broader management and leadership responsibilities.
Haden Became First Assistant U.S. Attorney
In August 2022, Haden became First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
The position is one of the most senior jobs within the district’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. The First Assistant U.S. Attorney serves as the second-ranking prosecutor and helps oversee the office’s daily operations.
The promotion reflected Haden’s years of experience within the district.
By that point, he had worked in multiple criminal sections and had developed substantial trial and management experience.
His professional record also earned national recognition. In 2020, Haden received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Managerial or Supervisory Role from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
The award recognized his leadership and management work during an earlier period of his career.
He later received the Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award from the San Diego chapter of the Federal Bar Association in 2024.
First Period as Acting U.S. Attorney
Haden first stepped into the acting U.S. attorney position in August 2023.
The change followed the resignation of Randy Grossman, who had served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California.
Haden was sworn in as acting U.S. attorney on August 7, 2023. He served in that position for roughly two months during the leadership transition.
The acting U.S. attorney serves as the district’s top federal prosecutor while a permanent leadership arrangement is being established.
For Haden, the appointment represented a significant step in a career that had already included several senior roles.
He returned to his regular duties after the transition.
Haden Returned to the Acting Role in 2025
Haden again became acting U.S. attorney in 2025.
That second leadership period came during another change at the Southern District of California. Tara McGrath, who had been serving as the district’s U.S. attorney, left the position during the transition in federal leadership.
As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Haden was again positioned to assume responsibility for the office.
He served as acting U.S. attorney for about two months before Adam Gordon became interim U.S. attorney in April 2025.
Having taken the top position twice, Haden had direct experience overseeing the district during periods of significant organizational change.
Federal Cases and Prosecutorial Work
Haden’s career included a wide range of federal criminal cases.
His responsibilities covered violent crime, firearms offenses, drug trafficking, human trafficking, crimes against children and other serious federal violations.
One notable case involved former San Diego County Sheriff’s Captain Marco Garmo.
Garmo pleaded guilty in 2020 to illegally trafficking firearms and other corrupt conduct. The case involved an investigation into firearms activity connected to his position as a law enforcement officer.
The prosecution highlighted Haden’s experience with firearms-related cases and federal investigations involving public officials.
Haden also worked on major drug trafficking prosecutions.
During his periods in senior leadership, the Southern District of California handled numerous cases involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances.
His work reflected the district’s unique position along the U.S.-Mexico border, where federal prosecutors regularly handle cases involving international drug trafficking and organized criminal activity.
Work Involving Violent Crime and Human Trafficking
Violent crime became another major part of Haden’s federal career.
He served as chief of the Violent Crimes & Human Trafficking Section before moving into broader leadership roles.
That position involved serious cases requiring close coordination among prosecutors, investigators and law enforcement agencies.
Haden’s professional responsibilities also included cases involving crimes against vulnerable victims.
His work in this area contributed to his reputation as an experienced federal trial lawyer.
He later became chief of the Criminal Division, giving him responsibility across a broader range of federal prosecutions.
Cases Involving Children
Haden also worked on federal cases involving the exploitation of children.
During his career, prosecutors in the Southern District of California pursued cases involving child sexual exploitation and related federal offenses.
Haden publicly represented the office in cases where defendants faced lengthy federal prison sentences.
His work in the area reflected his broader prosecutorial focus on protecting vulnerable victims and pursuing serious federal offenses.
His Military Background
Haden’s Navy service was an important part of his background before he entered federal law.
He served for five years as a Navy officer and completed two overseas deployments.
His final Navy assignment included service as navigator aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay.
The ship was associated with San Diego, making his later return to the city for a legal career particularly notable.
After leaving the Navy, Haden pursued law and eventually joined the federal government.
His military experience remained an important part of his professional biography throughout his career.
What Happened to Andrew Haden?
The latest confirmed information is that Haden died on August 19, 2026, inside the federal building in downtown San Diego.
The San Diego Police Department received a report concerning a missing man on Wednesday evening.
Officers later went to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building at 880 Front Street.
Haden was found dead inside an office at the building. The facility houses the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Police said investigators responded to the location and that no foul play was suspected.
The official cause and manner of death had not been released as of August 21, 2026.
The Medical Examiner will make that determination.
That means claims about a specific cause of death should not be presented as confirmed information unless authorities officially release those findings.
Reaction From the Southern District of California
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon confirmed Haden’s death and described it as a devastating loss for the office.
Gordon remembered Haden for his character, friendship, integrity and commitment to public service.
The statement also reflected the close professional relationships Haden developed during his years in the office.
Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant of the Southern District of California also described his death as a loss for the legal community.
Tributes from prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys underscored how widely Haden was respected within San Diego’s federal legal system.
His death affected colleagues who had worked with him during his years as a prosecutor and senior manager.
Haden’s Role in San Diego Federal Law Enforcement
The Southern District of California is one of the major federal prosecutorial districts in the United States.
Its work includes federal cases arising in San Diego and Imperial counties. The district also handles matters connected to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Haden spent his entire federal prosecutorial career within this environment.
His experience included courtroom litigation, management of criminal sections and leadership of the entire office during temporary vacancies.
That combination made him a familiar figure within San Diego’s federal justice system.
His role was not limited to one type of case. Instead, his career crossed several areas of federal criminal enforcement.
Awards and Professional Recognition
Haden received professional recognition during his years in federal service.
His 2020 Director’s Award recognized superior performance in a managerial or supervisory role.
The honor reflected his leadership within the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
He later received the Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award in 2024 from the San Diego chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
These honors added to a professional record that included more than a decade of federal courtroom and management experience.
His career also earned him opportunities to serve in the district’s highest temporary leadership position on two occasions.
Andrew Haden’s Career Timeline
Several milestones define Haden’s professional history:
- 2010: Joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
- 2020: Received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Managerial or Supervisory Role.
- 2022: Became First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
- 2023: Served as acting U.S. attorney during a leadership transition.
- 2024: Received the Peter J. Mazza Outstanding Federal Lawyer Award.
- 2025: Returned to the acting U.S. attorney position during another transition.
- August 19, 2026: Was found dead inside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in San Diego.
This timeline shows how Haden progressed from a newly appointed federal prosecutor to one of the Southern District of California’s most experienced leaders.
What Is Known About the Investigation?
Authorities have provided limited information about the circumstances surrounding Haden’s death.
Police have said that foul play is not suspected.
The Medical Examiner remains responsible for determining the official cause and manner of death.
No additional conclusion should be treated as established until that process is complete.
The distinction matters because unverified claims can quickly spread online following the death of a public figure.
For now, the confirmed information centers on where Haden was found, when he was found and his long record of federal service.
Andrew Haden’s Legacy
Haden’s professional legacy is closely connected to the Southern District of California.
He joined the office in 2010 and remained there for the rest of his federal prosecutorial career.
Along the way, he became a section chief, Criminal Division leader and First Assistant U.S. Attorney.
He also twice served as acting U.S. attorney, placing him temporarily in charge of the district during leadership changes.
His career combined courtroom prosecution with administrative leadership.
Beyond his legal work, Haden’s background included service in the U.S. Navy, overseas deployments and years of military experience before he entered federal prosecution.
Those elements shaped a career devoted to public service in San Diego.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under official review, but the professional record is well established. Haden was a veteran federal prosecutor who spent roughly 16 years serving the Southern District of California and earned recognition from colleagues and professional organizations.
What are your thoughts on Andrew Haden’s career and years of public service? Share your comments and stay updated as confirmed information develops.