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South Florida's top federal prosecutor is stepping down

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe said Monday October 16, 2023, in a statement released by his office that South Florida federal law enforcement officials are on alert for possible hate crimes and potential threats.
D.A. Varela
/
Miami Herald
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe announced his resignation late Monday. He was the first person born in Haiti to serve as a U.S. attorney.

The top federal prosecutor in South Florida will step down just days before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

Markenzy Lapointe announced his resignation late Monday, saying in a statement that his last day will be Jan. 17. Trump's inauguration day is Jan. 20.

Lapointe was the first person born in Haiti to serve as a U.S. attorney, a point he underscored in his resignation announcement.

"When I immigrated to this country in my teens [from Haiti], I lived in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, then an urban area with high crime and associated problems," he said. "Given where I started, it has been uniquely meaningful to hold a role so central to the Department of Justice’s mission of supporting our collective well-being through the exercise of the rule of law."

Trump will nominate Lapointe’s successor.

READ MORE: Miami lawyer nominated for U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida

This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.

Tom Hudson is WLRN's Senior Economics Editor and Special Correspondent.
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