Articles by County & Division
Federal sentencing in the Southern District of Texas is a single set of guidelines applied across seven divisions with very different caseloads. Each article below covers the facts, common myths, and quick reference figures for one division.
Houston Division
Federal Sentencing in Houston (Harris County)
Harris County
The Houston Division covers Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston-adjacent, and several surrounding counties and is the busiest courthouse in the Southern District of Texas. It sees a heavy mix of drug-trafficking, health-care fraud, immigration, and firearms cases.
Corpus Christi Division
Federal Sentencing in Corpus Christi (Nueces County)
Nueces County
The Corpus Christi Division sits on the coastal bend and handles a mix of maritime, immigration, and trafficking cases moving north from the border and through the Port of Corpus Christi.
Brownsville Division
Federal Sentencing in Brownsville (Cameron County)
Cameron County
Brownsville handles cases arising along the Rio Grande, the international bridges, and South Padre Island — heavily weighted toward immigration, narcotics, and bulk-cash smuggling.
Laredo Division
Federal Sentencing in Laredo (Webb County)
Webb County
Laredo's federal docket is dominated by narcotics trafficking, firearms trafficking to Mexico, and bulk cargo interdictions coming through World Trade and Colombia-Solidarity bridges.
McAllen Division
Federal Sentencing in McAllen (Hidalgo County)
Hidalgo County
The McAllen Division files more criminal cases than most federal districts nationwide, driven by the Rio Grande Valley Sector's immigration and narcotics volume.
Galveston Division
Federal Sentencing in Galveston (Galveston County)
Galveston County
Galveston is a smaller coastal division that handles maritime, port-security, and cruise-related cases in addition to a general federal criminal docket for Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers, and Matagorda counties.
Victoria Division
Federal Sentencing in Victoria (Victoria County)
Victoria County
The Victoria Division is the smallest courthouse in the district and handles cases from Victoria, Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca, and Refugio counties — mostly drug, firearm, and immigration matters funneled up from the coast.
Educational reference only. Not legal advice. For a personalized estimate, use the calculator.