By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com | posted 23rd february, 2025
In a significant reshuffling within federal law enforcement, President Donald Trump is set to appoint newly sworn-in FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
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This move comes shortly after Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed ATF’s chief counsel, Pamela Hicks, accusing the agency’s leadership of targeting law-abiding gun owners. Bondi has directed the ATF to reallocate resources from alcohol and tobacco enforcement to support the Department of Justice’s efforts against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
Patel, with his strong background in counterterrorism and national security, is anticipated to shift the ATF’s focus from firearms regulation to other areas, aligning with recent directives from Attorney General Bondi.
This appointment is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to consolidate various agencies, streamline operations, and reduce regulatory burdens. Patel, as the acting director of the ATF would be replacing Marvin Richardson, the agency’s current acting director.
Patel’s dual role leading both the FBI and the ATF is unprecedented and has raised concerns about the future direction of these agencies, particularly regarding firearms regulation and enforcement priorities.
The ATF is responsible for regulating firearm sales and registrations among Americans. The agency has long faced Republican criticism for what they view as government overreach on Second Amendment rights. Bondi directed the ATF to reallocate resources from alcohol and tobacco enforcement to support the DOJ’s efforts against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations.
It will be recalled that Patel was sworn in on Friday after his narrow 51-49 confirmation vote. Following this, he promptly ordered the transfer of 1,500 FBI personnel from headquarters to field offices nationwide.
In his speech, he pledged to implement “rigorous” constitutional oversight beginning this weekend, emphasizing that there would be “accountability in the FBI and outside of the FBI.” He stated that deploying FBI agents to troubled communities will help the agency concentrate on addressing violent crime, including the pursuit of rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers.
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He warned that anyone who “wishes to do harm to our way of life and our citizens, here and abroad, will face the full wrath of the DOJ and FBI.”
NOTE: Source Townhall.