FBI Director Kash Patel Replaced As Acting ATF Boss, Army Secretary Steps In
U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has taken over as interim head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, one of numerous law enforcement agencies overseen by the Justice Department, three U.S. officials confirmed to USA TODAY. According to two Defense sources, Driscoll is now in charge of the ATF while continuing to serve as Army secretary. A Justice Department spokesman confirmed Driscoll’s replacement of Patel but declined to comment on the reasons for the personnel change, according to USA Today. Patel, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, was sworn in as acting head of the ATF in late February, just days after being sworn in as director of the FBI. Reuters was the first to report the news. It is unknown when Patel will be removed from his position. As of 4 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday afternoon, Patel’s photo and title of interim director remained on the ATF’s website.
The rapid change in leadership comes as senior Justice Department officials consider merging ATF with the Drug Enforcement Administration to save money. Driscoll, the 26th Army Secretary, was sworn in on February 25, following Trump’s nomination and Senate confirmation. Driscoll was commissioned as an armor commander in 2007, and his Army biography states that he headed a cavalry unit in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division that deployed to Baghdad in 2009.
After leaving active military, Driscoll attended Yale Law School and worked at the Veterans Legal Services Clinic. Driscoll’s bio does not mention any federal law enforcement expertise, despite having held executive positions in investment banking, private equity, and corporate operations. Driscoll will lead the ATF, which has vast authority to enforce laws and regulations governing firearms, explosives, and tobacco products.
Record FBI Job Applications Under Patel’s Leadership
The FBI has been marching ahead of Patel’s leadership. In Patel’s first full month in charge, the bureau has received a record number of applications for new agents. The number of people looking for jobs in law enforcement has more than doubled the monthly average since 2016. Fox News Digital reported that 5,577 new applications for FBI agents were sent in March. The last time that number was even close to that in a month was April 2016, when 5,283 applications came in. According to FBI data looked at by Fox News Digital, the average number of applications per month in 2023 was 2,797, and the average number of applications per month in 2024 was 3,383.
Director Patel and Deputy Director (Dan) Bongino have put a major emphasis on restoring confidence in federal law enforcement and boosting new agent recruiting.