The Justice Department is exploring significant changes that may involve merging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into a single agency, as per a memo obtained by The Associated Press. The proposal, put forward by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, aims to streamline resources, enhance case management, and improve regulatory efforts through this consolidation.
This reorganization initiative is part of the broader strategy under the Trump administration to revamp and streamline federal agencies. President Donald Trump has mandated agencies to develop strategies for reducing employee positions and merging programs. The Justice Department’s plan also includes merging policy offices and closing field offices nationwide, such as the Antitrust Division offices in Chicago and San Francisco.
Under the proposed plan, lawyers from the Tax Division and employees handling public corruption cases would be reassigned to U.S. attorneys’ offices, with a select group of supervisory attorneys remaining in Washington. While the plan is not yet finalized, Justice Department officials have been asked to provide feedback on the proposals by April 2.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not offer immediate comment on the potential changes.
