Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ATF logo since 2003

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE or ATF) is a federal law enforcement group. The ATF became its own organization on January 17, 2003, after it was proposed in the Homeland Security Act of 2002. They are a branch of the United States Department of Justice. The ATF actively prevents dangerous criminals and criminal organizations from illegally trafficking firearms and explosives, illegal storage of explosives, arson, bombings, and acts of arson, as well as stopping the illegal sale of alcohol and tobacco.

Waco Siege (1993)

In 1993, the ATF executed an operation in Waco, Texas, known as the Waco Siege, along with the FBI, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Military Forces, and the Alabama National Guard. Their goal was to serve a search warrant issued by the ATF on a religious cult known as the "Branch Davidians." The location of the siege was a building complex known as Mount Carmel Center ranch, in McLennan County, Texas, slightly north of Waco. The reason for the warrant was because of suspected weapons violations. The aftermath of the Waco Siege and the force used during it by federal agents is still disputed to this day.

Major fire in the complex after a propane tank exploded during the siege

Directors

A list of ATF directors since becoming a Bureau on July 1, 1972:[source?]

Unnumbered rows denote acting directors.

No. Image Director Term start Term end Refs. Appointed by
1 Rex D. Davis July 1, 1972 July 1, 1978 Richard Nixon
– John G. Krogman July 2, 1978 1978 Jimmy Carter
2 Glenn Robert Dickerson 1979 March 1982 [source?]
– Stephen Higgins March 1982 March 28, 1983 Ronald Reagan
3 March 29, 1983 September 30, 1993
4 John Magaw October 1, 1993 December 19, 1999 Bill Clinton
5 Bradley A. Buckles December 20, 1999 January 2, 2004
– Edgar A. Domenech January 3, 2004 April 18, 2004 George W. Bush
6 Carl Truscott April 19, 2004 August 8, 2006
– Edgar A. Domenech August 9, 2006 September 2006
– Michael Sullivan September 2006 January 20, 2009
– Ronald A. Carter January 20, 2009 April 7, 2009 [source?] Barack Obama
– Kenneth E. Melson April 8, 2009 August 30, 2011
– B. Todd Jones August 31, 2011 July 31, 2013
7 August 1, 2013 March 31, 2015
– Thomas Brandon April 1, 2015 April 30, 2019
– Regina Lombardo May 1, 2019 June 3, 2021 Donald Trump
– Marvin G. Richardson June 4, 2021 April 24, 2022 Joe Biden
– Gary M. Restaino April 25, 2022 July 12, 2022
8 Steve Dettelbach July 13, 2022 January 17, 2025
– Marvin G. Richardson January 17, 2025 February 24, 2025
– Kash Patel February 24, 2025 April 10, 2025 Donald Trump
– Daniel P. Driscoll April 10, 2025 April 30, 2026
9
Robert Cekada April 30, 2026 present

Table notes

  1. ↑ Davis was head of the predecessor, the ATF division of the IRS, and oversaw its transition to an independent bureau.
  2. ↑ July 1, 1972, is the date when ATF became an independent bureau.

References

  1. ↑ "Who We Are | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives". www.atf.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  2. 1 2 "Calendar of Events Fiscal 1978". ATF annual report for fiscal year 1978 (PDF) (Report). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Department of the Treasury. p. 68 (print).
  3. ↑ "New Director Named for ATF" (Press release). United States Department of the Treasury. March 29, 1983. p. 21.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Pierre (October 1, 1993). "ATF officials ousted over raid". The Washington Post.
  5. ↑ Bureau Director Swearing-In. C-SPAN. December 20, 1999.
  6. ↑ Report of Investigation Concerning Alleged Mismanagement and Misconduct by Carl J. Truscott, Former Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. Department of Justice (Report). October 2006.
  7. ↑ "Sen. Kerry stands behind Mike Sullivan, on his last day as ATF chief". The Patriot Ledger. January 18, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Attorney General Eric Holder Names New Leadership for ATF, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and Office of Professional Responsibility". U.S. Department of Justice (Press release). April 8, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Department of Justice Announces New Acting Director of ATF and Senior Advisor in the Office of Legal Policy". U.S. Department of Justice (Press release). August 30, 2011.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Carrie; Block, Melissa (August 1, 2013). "New ATF Head Is Its First Senate-Confirmed Leader In 7 Years". NPR.
  11. ↑ "Thomas E. Brandon" (PDF). U.S. Congress.
  12. ↑ "Attorney General Appoints Regina Lombardo Acting Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives". U.S. Department of Justice (Press release). April 24, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Executive Staff". Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Presidential Designation of ATF Acting Director". U.S. Department of Justice (Press release). April 26, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Director". Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024.
  16. ↑ Beard, Kirsten (Jan 21, 2025). "CJN goes one-on-one with: Former ATF Director Steven Dettelbach". Cleveland Jewish News.
  17. ↑ Richer, Alanna Durkin (24 February 2025). "New FBI Director Kash Patel is sworn in as acting ATF chief, AP source says". Associated Press.
  18. 1 2 Lynch, Sarah; Ali, Idrees; Stewart, Phil (April 9, 2025). "Kash Patel removed as acting ATF director, replaced by Army Secretary, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  19. ↑ Lamothe, Dan (2026-04-16). "Republicans in Congress back Army secretary amid clash with Hegseth". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  20. ↑ "Justice Department moves to roll back gun regulations as Senate confirms new ATF chief". NBC News. 2026-04-30. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  21. ↑ Barrett, Devlin (2026-04-29). "Trump Administration Announces Moves to Sharply Curtail Gun Regulations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-05.