US FBI Director Kash Patel, who also serves as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, plans to move as many as 1,000 ATF agents to the FBI, reducing the ATF’s agent workforce by over one-third.
This reduction will affect the ATF, an organisation that has faced opposition from gun rights advocates who consider its activities as challenging Second Amendment rights. The ATF currently maintains approximately 2,600 agents and over 5,000 staff members, figures that have remained stable over time.
Initial implementation involves reassigning roughly 200 ATF agents to FBI positions focusing on border-related criminal enforcement, according to CNN citing source.
An ATF spokeswoman contradicted reports about FBI reassignments, stating on Saturday that “the ATF will temporarily assign approximately 150 agents from existing field offices to other ATF field offices, where they will continue serving as ATF agents to support the surge initiative” as part of border management plans.
“It is important to clarify that this is a temporary reassignment of resources to bolster public safety and combat criminal organizations more effectively. Additionally, ATF routinely initiates surge operations in cities across the country facing significant increases in violent crime,” ATF spokeswoman Ashlee J L Sherrill said in a statement to CNN.
The plan ultimately involves temporary FBI reassignments for up to 1,000 ATF agents, without specified end dates, according to the source.
The FBI spokesperson declined comment, whilst the Justice Department did not respond to enquiries.
President Donald Trump appointed Patel to restructure the FBI, which employs nearly 14,000 agents and 38,000 staff. Patel’s subsequent appointment as acting ATF director, coupled with the historically challenging Senate confirmation process for ATF directors across administrations, has led to speculation about potential agency consolidation.
The concept of incorporating ATF into the FBI or other agencies has historical precedent. Previous administrations considered similar proposals, including Vice President Joe Biden during Obama-era discussions regarding mass shooting and gun crime task force initiatives.