Pam Bondi left the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, April 1st, having served in the position since Donald Trump assumed the U.S. presidency for a second time. The day after her dismissal, the Department of Justice issued a message thanking Bondi for her leadership in cases such as the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes 'El Mencho' and the trial against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. On Wednesday, Trump announced the dismissal of Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom he has described as a 'great patriot' and 'loyal friend,' and that her position would be filled on an interim basis by the current Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche. 'We love Pam very much, and she will move on to a new—very necessary and important—position in the private sector, which will be announced at a future date,' Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. According to Fox News, which broke the story citing White House sources, Trump informed Bondi of her dismissal late Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Justice thanked Pam Bondi for 'El Mencho' and Maduro. On social media, the U.S. Department of Justice highlighted Bondi's leadership at the agency and stated that during her administration, more than 125,000 people have been charged with crimes since the start of the second Trump administration. 'She has DECIMATED the drug cartels and their leaders,' the post noted. The U.S. Attorney General's Office added that thanks to Bondi's administration, 'El Mencho,' leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, who died in a confrontation with Armed Forces on February 22nd, was brought to justice. It also claimed credit for the trial against Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, who is now 'out of power and in U.S. custody.' Finally, it mentioned 'El Mayo,' the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, who pleaded guilty to federal charges. In its statement, the Department of Justice also thanked Todd Blanche for his leadership, stating that under his and Bondi's leadership, the department has charged over 125,000 people with crimes since the start of the second Trump administration and has 'decimated' drug cartels and their leaders. The department noted that 'El Mencho,' leader of CJNG, is dead; Nicolás Maduro is 'out of power and in U.S. custody'; and 'El Mayo' has pleaded guilty. Pam Bondi, 60, began publicly supporting Trump in the early 2010s when she was Florida's Attorney General. In the cabinet he formed in January 2025, she was considered one of the most loyal figures to the U.S. president. Todd Blanche, 51, has defended several figures close to Trump as a lawyer, such as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and also represented Trump in the case related to the Republican's hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. As Deputy Attorney General, he was responsible for leading a prison interrogation with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former partner and main procurer.
