In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Edward H. Warner is a prominent legal professional who currently serves as the Lead Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Trial Attorney. He is a former Deputy Criminal Chief and an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
His career is characterized by his leadership in high-stakes federal prosecutions, his active involvement in the local and national legal communities, and his fluency in the Spanish language and international experience. In 2021, Warner was listed in the Best Lawyers in America as a One to Watch, and in 2022 Warner received the Federal Bar Association Outstanding Leader Award. Warner was also recognized as a member of The National Black Lawyers – Top 100 for 2024 and 2025. Below is an overview of his background, professional roles, and the types of cases that he handles.
1. Professional Roles and Federal Prosecution
As Lead HSTF Trial Attorney and the former Deputy Criminal Chief in the Middle District of Louisiana, Warner oversees a variety of significant federal criminal matters. His work involves coordinating with federal and state law enforcement agencies—such as the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office—to prosecute complex crimes under several, critical national policy initiatives.
His prosecutorial focus includes:
• Child Exploitation: Warner is a lead prosecutor for Project Safe Childhood; a U.S. Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. He has successfully prosecuted numerous cases involving the production, possession, and distribution of child pornography and the enticement of minors. In 2025, Warner led a prosecution against a repeat child sex offender which resulted in a 270 months (22.5 years) sentence for attempted enticement of minor.
• Financial and Pandemic Fraud: He has handled major, complex white-collar crime cases, involving tax evasion, bank fraud, embezzlement schemes by financial institution employees, and theft of federal benefits (such as Social Security or pandemic-related aid). In 2023, Warner led a seven-day trial, in which a jury unanimously convicted a doctor of tax evasion.
• Transnational Crime: As a leader in the HSTF Task Force, and under initiatives like Operation Take Back America, Warner prosecutes cases involving international cartels, human trafficking, and sex trafficking. As Lead HSTF Trial Attorney, Warner also advises other AUSAs on major criminal cases, particularly drug trafficking, criminal immigration, human smuggling, and money laundering cases.
• Public Safety and Emerging Technology: Warner has presented on the impact of Artificial Intelligence in the legal field, discussing emerging public safety trends and victim resources related to AI-driven crime, as well as cybercrime generally.
2. Leadership in the Legal Community
Beyond the courtroom, Warner is highly active in professional bar associations. His leadership positions demonstrate a commitment to the administration of justice and the continuing education of legal professionals in Baton Rouge and Louisiana generally.
• Federal Bar Association (FBA): Warner serves as President of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. In 2022, he received national recognition as the Outstanding Chapter Leader for his exceptional service to the chapter.
• Baton Rouge Bar Association (BRBA): Warner has been a contributing writer for the BRBA’s publication. Over the last decade, he has contributed on topics such as Mexico’s 2015 energy reform and how Louisiana companies can benefit from the open trade between the U.S. and Mexico. Warner has also participated in community outreach programs like the “Constitution and Citizenship Day” to engage the community, and particularly local youth, in the workings of federal court.
• World Trade Center of New Orleans (WTCNO): Between 2015 and 2021 Warner was a board member with the WTCNO. During that time, Warner made multiple presentations to the WTCNO and business leaders on Mexican oil industry reform and Louisiana businesses. Warner also participated in trade missions, including a 2015 mission to Mexico City, Mexico to promote trade and explore Louisiana international business opportunities.
3. Educational and Early Career Background
Prior to his high-level role at the U.S. Department of Justice, Warner built a foundation in private practice and international law. He clerked for a U.S. District Court Judge from 2012–2013.
• Private Practice: For almost a decade, Warner was a corporate and litigation attorney at Kean Miller, LLP, one of the largest law firms in the region, where he worked in the corporate, environmental litigation, and international trade groups. During his time at Kean Miller, Warner defended major oil and gas companies in high-stakes litigation with exposure in the hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. Warner also advised international companies about cross-border transactions, particularly between the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. He also advised companies about U.S. employment-based immigration matters, including obtaining work visas (such as H-1B/2B) and corporate criminal and civil immigration liability and penalties.
• Clerkship for the United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of Louisiana (MDLA) (2012–2013). During his time with the Honorable Brian Anthony Jackson in the MDLA (Chief Judge 2011–2018), Warner drafted orders, opinions, jury instructions, and bench memoranda on legal issues in federal criminal and civil actions. Warner assisted the judge during six trials, various motion hearings, criminal pleas, and sentencing hearings.
• Academic Achievements: Warner attended the American University Washington College of Law, where he served as the Executive Editor of the Legislation and Policy Brief. He also received the James C. Eastman Endowed Scholarship and the Thelma Casto Southard Award, based on his contributions to the law school community. While in law school, Warner was an American University adjunct lecturer of Spanish grammar and Spanish translation (2008 – 2012).
4. Spanish Language Expertise
Warner is fluent in Spanish, a skill that enhances his ability to manage cases involving international parties or multi-lingual evidence. Warner has done legal work in other countries, been an adjunct language instructor at two U.S. universities, and completed advanced studies and trade missions in Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, and Spain, among other countries. Knowing Spanish as a lawyer has significantly boosted his career by expanding his client base and improving case outcomes by eliminating interpreter delays and misunderstandings. Warner’s bilingual expertise has made him highly marketable and valuable, particularly in immigration, international trade, and international corporate law.
Warner co-authored a chapter in an international law textbook regarding the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Guatemala. Warner presented on the topic at the 2006 Congress of the Latin American Studies Association in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
5. Summary of Impact
In 2026, Edward H. Warner remains a central figure in the Baton Rouge federal justice system. His roles as a senior prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice, a leader within the Federal Bar Association, and a bilingual attorney position him as an influential expert on federal procedure, public safety, the intersection of technology and the law, international law, and immigration. Whether he is arguing a case before a federal judge at the Russell B. Long Federal building or mentoring students in the community, his work significantly shapes the legal landscape of the Middle District of Louisiana and the state of Louisiana.