Kash Patel Targeting ATF, May Cut Up to 1,000 Agents

FBI Director and Acting ATF Director Kash Patel is planning to reassign up to 1,000 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to the FBI, according to a report from CNN.

The change would reduce the ATF’s field agent workforce by approximately one-third.

BREAKING

Kash Patel plans to cut as many as 1,000 ATF agents and reassign them to the FBI—a nearly 40% decrease.

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) March 23, 2025

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The ATF currently employs around 2,600 special agents and more than 5,000 total personnel.

The agency’s staffing numbers have remained largely unchanged for several years, even as its role in firearms regulation has remained a central issue in debates over federal gun control policies.

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The proposed personnel shift marks a significant change in the federal law enforcement landscape, consolidating investigative resources under the FBI.

CNN described the move as a “major cutback” of the ATF, a bureau that has long faced criticism from gun rights advocates who argue that the agency’s enforcement actions infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.

Gun control advocates reacted strongly to the report.

Giffords, the gun-control organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, criticized the plan in a statement posted to X.

“This decision would increase crime and hurt law enforcement. The ATF is the only federal law enforcement agency stopping gun traffickers from flooding communities across the country with illegal guns. Weakening the ATF will make all us less safe,” the group said.

This decision would increase crime and hurt law enforcement.

The ATF is the only federal law enforcement agency stopping gun traffickers from flooding communities across the country with illegal guns. Weakening the ATF will make all us less safe.https://t.co/1crcAd7Z71

— GIFFORDS (@GIFFORDS_org) March 22, 2025

The report comes amid ongoing debates about the appropriate role of federal agencies in regulating firearms and enforcing gun laws.

While the FBI handles a wide range of national security, organized crime, and counterterrorism cases, the ATF has historically been tasked with enforcing federal firearms laws, investigating firearms trafficking, and regulating the gun industry.

It remains unclear when the agent transfers will begin or how the redistribution of personnel will impact existing ATF field operations.

Neither the FBI nor the ATF has released a public statement confirming or denying the report.

Kash Patel assumed leadership of the FBI earlier this year and has simultaneously been serving as acting director of the ATF.

His dual role has drawn attention from both supporters and critics, with some arguing that consolidating law enforcement authority could improve inter-agency coordination, while others worry about the long-term consequences of reducing ATF capacity.

The ATF has often been the focus of both praise and criticism over its enforcement strategies.

The agency has been involved in high-profile firearms trafficking investigations and has played a central role in recent federal efforts to regulate so-called “ghost guns” and pistol braces.

The reported decision to reassign 1,000 agents to the FBI would mark one of the largest personnel moves in the agency’s history.

More information is expected to emerge in the coming weeks as lawmakers and law enforcement officials respond to the proposed restructuring.

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