Kash Patel, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was sworn in on February 21, 2025, in Washington, DC. Patel, who also serves as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has revealed plans to transfer up to 1,000 ATF agents to the FBI, resulting in a reduction of ATF agents by more than a third, as reported by three sources briefed on the strategy to CNN.
This move signifies a significant downsizing of the ATF, an agency that has faced scrutiny from gun rights organizations who argue that its operations infringe on Second Amendment rights. Currently, the ATF has approximately 2,600 agents and over 5,000 employees, figures that have largely remained steady for years.
The transition is anticipated to commence with the reassignment of a few hundred ATF agents to border-related criminal enforcement responsibilities as FBI agents, according to an informed individual. Subsequently, an estimated 1,000 ATF agents may be temporarily reassigned as FBI agents, with no specified end date for the reassignments.
Requests for comments from the FBI and the Justice Department went unanswered. President Donald Trump selected Patel to lead the reformation of the FBI, an agency with around 14,000 agents and 38,000 employees. Patel was later appointed as the acting director of the ATF. Confirming ATF directors in the Senate has historically proven challenging, irrespective of the administration in power. Patel’s dual role has raised speculation about potential plans by Trump to merge elements of the ATF with the FBI.
The notion of merging parts of the ATF with the FBI or other agencies is not novel, as previous administrations have explored the idea. During the Obama administration, then-Vice President Joe Biden discussed forming a task force to address mass shootings and gun-related crimes, which prompted consideration of integrating ATF functions with other entities.
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