Andrew Haden, a Navy veteran and career federal prosecutor who twice served as acting U.S. attorney in San Diego, was found dead inside the federal building where he spent 16 years, and police say no foul play is suspected.
Haden, 48, was discovered Wednesday inside an office at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego after someone filed a missing-person report, Fox News Digital reported. The building houses the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California, where Haden had worked since 2010. San Diego police responded to the scene, and a department spokesperson said investigators found no evidence of criminal activity.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause and manner of death, Newsmax reported. Sources familiar with the case told the New York Post that Haden died by suicide.
A California native, Haden earned his law degree from the University of San Diego and served two overseas deployments in the U.S. Navy before joining the federal prosecutor's office. Over a career spanning more than a decade and a half, he conducted more than two dozen jury trials and handled cases involving violent crime, drug trafficking, public corruption, and child exploitation.
Haden was selected to fill vacancies as acting U.S. attorney on two occasions, first in 2023 and again in 2025. His most recent stint came after President Trump fired U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, a Biden appointee, and chose Haden to run the office. He served in that acting capacity from February to April 2025.
The Trump administration has moved aggressively on personnel decisions at the Justice Department, including firing a court-appointed U.S. attorney in Seattle less than an hour after federal judges swore him in. Haden, by contrast, was a career prosecutor trusted by leadership on both sides of the transition, a rare figure who earned the confidence of the office regardless of which party held the White House.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, who now leads the Southern District of California, issued a statement to Fox News Digital calling the loss devastating.
"This is one of the darkest days in our office's history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden's life. He was a beacon of light, full of laughter, friendship, integrity and an unwavering commitment to serving our community. We will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always."
Tributes came from across the legal spectrum, prosecutors and defense attorneys alike. Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant described Haden as "well loved and well respected" and called his death "a loss for everyone," Breitbart reported.
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who had faced Haden in courtroom battles over the years, said the two remained friends despite being on opposite sides of cases. Warren called Haden's death "a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego."
Scott C. Carr, executive director of the San Diego County Bar Association, said he was devastated by the news. Carr recalled speaking with Haden during a recent government shutdown about the toll it was taking on employees in the U.S. Attorney's Office and how Haden was working to support his team through it.
"Andrew was always friendly with a kind word to say, which makes news of his passing all the more difficult. My thoughts are with his family and his colleagues at the Southern District of California. Our legal community lost a good one."
The Trump administration has reshaped DOJ leadership at every level in recent months, from nominating Todd Blanche as attorney general to rolling out new enforcement priorities across the country. Haden's career bridged those transitions. He was the kind of federal prosecutor, a veteran, a trial lawyer, a man who handled child exploitation and drug trafficking cases, whose work mattered regardless of who occupied the Oval Office.
The Justice Department has also pushed new policy initiatives under the current administration, including a $3 billion grant program requiring cities to partner with ICE. Haden spent his career on the front lines of that kind of federal law enforcement, the day-to-day work of putting violent offenders and traffickers in prison.
San Diego police said they responded "out of an abundance of caution" and do not suspect foul play. The medical examiner's office has not yet released an official determination on cause or manner of death.
Haden had been reported missing before he was found inside the federal building. No details have been released about who filed the missing-person report or the circumstances that led to it.
Haden leaves behind a 16-year record of public service, first in uniform, then in the courtroom. He was 48 years old.
When the people who fought against you in court call your death a devastating loss, that tells you more about a man's character than any eulogy ever could.