HOUSTON (Covering Katy News) — South Texas' top federal prosecutor is trading his role putting criminals behind bars to become a federal judge — and his record includes bringing down a Katy-based motorcycle gang accused of murder, drug trafficking and a bloody turf war.
Ganjei Steping Down as U.S. Attorney
Nicholas J. Ganjei is stepping down as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas after President Donald Trump nominated him as a federal district judge and the U.S. Senate confirmed him Feb. 3, 2026, by a vote of 51-45. All Republicans voted for him and all Democrats voted against him. He took his oath of office March 12 and will serve in Houston.
Unlike his current position, which typically changes with presidential administrations, a federal judgeship is a lifetime appointment.
Katy's 'Welcome to Hell' Bandidos Chapter Brought Down
Among the cases that defined his tenure, Ganjei's office indicted 14 members of the Katy-based "Welcome to Hell" chapter of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang on 22 counts including racketeering, assault and murder, stemming from a violent turf war that spilled onto public roads and into bars and restaurants with innocent bystanders present.
The Bandidos are one of the largest outlaw motorcycle gangs in the world, with an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 members in the United States and another 1,000 to 1,500 internationally, including chapters in Europe, Asia and Mexico.
The gang was founded in Houston in 1966. The Katy-based "Welcome to Hell" chapter was founded in 2021 with the specific goal of targeting a rival gang known as BEAST — Brothers East — a former Bandidos support group that had broken away from the organization.
Bandidos national leadership allegedly issued a "smash on site" order directing members to assault or kill any BEAST member on sight. The gang is perhaps best known in Texas for a 2015 shootout with rival Cossacks outside a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco that left nine people dead and 20 injured.
Ganjei's Aggressive Enforcement Across South Texas
As U.S. Attorney, Ganjei oversaw a district that stretches across 43 counties, covers 44,000 square miles and serves more than nine million residents. His office filed more than 10,000 federal charges and won 96 percent of its cases, according to the office.
Border Enforcement a Top Priority
Border enforcement was also a centerpiece of his tenure. The district charged more than 14,000 people in border-related cases in 2025 alone, covering everything from illegal crossings and drug trafficking to assaults on federal officers.
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