ATF Refutes Claim of Transferring 1,000 Agents to FBI

March 25, 2025 TruthUSA

The ATF has announced that 150 of its agents will be temporarily reassigned from their field offices to the southern border and other critical regions to address issues related to violent crime and the trafficking of guns and drugs.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has refuted claims that it is transferring as many as 1,000 agents to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

CNN reported on March 22 that acting ATF Director Kash Patel, who also serves as FBI director, was planning to shift ATF agents and cut the ATF’s workforce by one-third, which would involve deploying a few hundred agents for border security tasks.

ATF spokesperson Johnny Michael informed The Epoch Times that 150 ATF agents will temporarily relocate from the agency’s field offices as part of their mission to combat “violent crime, gang activity, transnational organized crime, firearms trafficking, and narcotics trafficking along the southern border and in other regions of the country experiencing significant violent crime.”

“ATF routinely initiates surge operations in cities nationwide facing notable spikes in violent crime,” he stated. “These focused operations have proven effective in disrupting criminal activities, apprehending suspects, and aiding local law enforcement efforts.”

Michael indicated that additional information regarding this change would be made available “at a later date.”

The FBI did not respond to requests for comments by the time of publication. Patel was appointed as acting ATF director earlier this month.

Democratic lawmakers have called for Patel’s removal from his position at the ATF. In a letter dated March 3, 14 House Democrats urged President Donald Trump to appoint a “qualified” individual to the role.

“The ATF plays a vital role in assisting state and local law enforcement by tracing firearms used in crimes, aiding in criminal investigations, and delivering training on diverse topics, including detecting devices for converting firearms to machine guns,” they stated.

“It’s essential to reinforce this partnership with state and local law enforcement instead of allowing weak leadership and partisan staffing changes to undermine it.”

This plan isn’t the first time Patel has suggested a significant personnel shift.

Shortly after assuming the role of FBI director last month, Patel indicated his intention to reassign up to 1,000 agents from Washington to field offices.

“Director Patel has assured the American public that FBI agents will be present in communities to address violent crime. He has instructed FBI leadership to implement a strategy to realize this commitment,” the FBI confirmed in a statement.

Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino was appointed as deputy FBI director in February and was sworn in earlier this month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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