Washington: Kash Patel has reportedly been removed from his position as the interim head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) by the Trump administration, with Dan Driscoll, the Secretary of the Army, taking over the role, according to a report by the Washington Post on Thursday.
The report cites two sources familiar with the decision regarding Patel’s removal. A U.S. defense official later confirmed to The Hill that Driscoll is now the acting ATF director and will continue serving as the Army secretary. Driscoll was informed of his appointment while traveling in Europe on Wednesday, as reported by Fox News.
According to Fox News Digital, a source close to Patel noted that he stepped back from the ATF position because he wanted to concentrate on his responsibilities as FBI director. “It was never supposed to be a long-term thing. He was happy to serve, of course, but his job is the director of the FBI,” the source said.
Patel was appointed as the acting leader of the ATF, a domestic law enforcement agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ), in late February. He had been sworn in shortly after being confirmed as the FBI director on February 20. The ATF is tasked with preventing the trafficking of illegal weapons and substances, including those smuggled into the U.S. via the southern border. The agency investigates federal offenses related to explosives, firearms, arson, and the illegal trafficking of tobacco and alcohol.
Patel succeeded Steve Dettelbach, who resigned from the ATF director post in January, marking the agency’s first permanent leadership change since 2015. Driscoll, appointed by Trump to lead the Army in December, was confirmed as secretary in late February. He has served in the Army for three and a half years and was deployed to Iraq in 2009. Driscoll is a Yale Law School graduate, where he met Vice President Vance.
