Front Office

Mikaela Weber, First Assistant United States Attorney

Mikaela Weber is the First Assistant United States Attorney.  Mikaela has been an Assistant United States attorney since 2017. Before joining the front office, she was a supervisor in the General Crimes Section and a member of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Section. Mikaela’s caseload at the office has included narcotics trafficking, narcotics distribution resulting in death, immigration crimes, firearms offenses, assaults on a federal officer, money laundering, and racketeering. Mikaela has conducted several federal trials, led international investigations into transnational criminal organizations, and conducted training for foreign prosecutors and law enforcement on investigating and prosecuting organized crime.

Mikaela received her A.B. from Princeton University and her law degree from Stanford Law School.  After graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Edith Brown Clement on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

Victor White, Executive Assistant United States Attorney

Zachary Howe, Chief of Staff

Zach Howe is the Chief of Staff. As part of the senior leadership team, he advises the United States Attorney and helps implement office priorities.

Zach has been an Assistant United States Attorney since 2018. Before joining the front office, he was a member of the Appellate Section. Zach has argued 46 appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit during his time in the office. He has also tried 11 cases to jury verdict, including cases involving bank robbery, drug smuggling, gun crimes, and immigration offenses. He has received numerous office-wide awards, including the “Extra Mile Award” for 2024 and multiple “Attorney of the Month” awards, in recognition of his work.

Zach received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. After graduating, he clerked for the Honorable Leslie H. Southwick on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He then completed the Simon Karas Fellowship in the Ohio Solicitor General’s Office, where he argued cases before the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he worked in the appellate group at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston, Texas.

Outside of work, Zach is active in the San Diego Appellate Inn of Court, where he is the Communications Chair and a member of the Executive Committee.