History Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

1 history

1.1 activities

1.1.1 1900–2000
1.1.2 2000–present

history

the seal of atf when part of u.s. treasury department.



the flag of atf when part of u.s. treasury department.

the atf formerly part of united states department of treasury, having been formed in 1886 revenue laboratory within treasury department s bureau of internal revenue. history of atf can subsequently traced time of revenuers or revenoors , bureau of prohibition, formed unit of bureau of internal revenue in 1920. made independent agency within treasury department in 1927, transferred justice department in 1930, , became, briefly, division of fbi in 1933.

when volstead act, established prohibition in united states, repealed in december 1933, unit transferred department of justice department of treasury, became alcohol tax unit (atu) of bureau of internal revenue. special agent eliot ness , several members of untouchables , had worked prohibition bureau while volstead act still in force, transferred atu. in 1942, responsibility enforcing federal firearms laws given atu.

in 1950s, bureau of internal revenue renamed internal revenue service (irs), , atu given additional responsibility of enforcing federal tobacco tax laws. @ time, name of atu changed alcohol , tobacco tax division (attd).

in 1968, passage of gun control act, agency changed name again, time alcohol, tobacco, , firearms division of irs , first began referred initials atf . in title xi of organized crime control act of 1970, congress enacted explosives control act, 18 u.s.c.a. chapter 40, provided close regulation of explosives industry , designated arsons , bombings federal crimes. secretary of treasury made responsible administering regulatory aspects of new law, , given jurisdiction on criminal violations relating regulatory controls. these responsibilities delegated atf division of irs. secretary , attorney general given concurrent jurisdiction on arson , bombing offenses. pub.l. 91-452, 84 stat. 922, october 15, 1970.

in 1972 atf officially established independent bureau within treasury department on july 1, 1972, transferred responsibilities of atf division of irs new bureau of alcohol, tobacco, , firearms. rex d. davis oversaw transition, becoming bureau s first director, having headed division since 1970. during tenure, davis shepherded organization new era federal firearms , explosives laws addressing violent crime became primary mission of agency. however, taxation , other alcohol issues remained priorities atf collected billions of dollars in alcohol , tobacco taxes, , undertook major revisions of federal wine labeling regulations relating use of appellations of origin , varietal designations on wine labels.

in wake of terrorist attack on world trade center , pentagon on september 11, 2001, president george w. bush signed law homeland security act of 2002. in addition creation of department of homeland security, law shifted atf department of treasury department of justice. agency s name changed bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, , explosives. however, agency still referred atf purposes. additionally, task of collection of federal tax revenue derived production of tobacco , alcohol products , regulatory function related protecting public in issues related production of alcohol, handled bureau of internal revenue atf, transferred newly established alcohol , tobacco tax , trade bureau (ttb), remained within treasury department. these changes took effect january 24, 2003.

activities

1900–2000

complaints regarding techniques used atf in effort generate firearm cases led hearings before congressional committees in late 1970s , 1980s. @ these hearings, evidence received citizens had been charged atf, experts had studied atf, , officials of bureau itself. senate subcommittee report stated, based upon these hearings apparent atf enforcement tactics made possible current federal firearms laws constitutionally, legally, , practically reprehensible.

the subcommittee received evidence atf devoted firearms enforcement efforts apprehension, upon technical malum prohibitum charges, of individuals lack criminal intent , knowledge. evidence received demonstrated atf agents tended concentrate upon collector s items rather criminal street guns .

in hearings before atf s appropriations subcommittee, however, testimony submitted estimating 75 percent of atf gun prosecutions aimed @ ordinary citizens no criminal intent.

the firearm owners protection act of 1986 addressed of abuses noted in 1982 senate judiciary subcommittee report.

two incidents in 1990s—ruby ridge , waco siege—involved atf , later federal bureau of investigation s hostage rescue team (hrt). both brought criticism atf , fbi.

the ruby ridge siege began in june 1990. randy weaver pressured kenneth fadeley, atf informant, shorten barrels on 2 shotguns , sell these fadeley. weaver maintained barrels legal length, after fadeley took possession, shotguns later found shorter allowed federal law, requiring registration short-barreled shotgun , payment of $200 tax. atf filed firearms charges against weaver, offered drop charges if become informant. after weaver refused cooperate, atf passed on false information weaver other agencies became part of misleading file profiled weaver having explosive booby traps, tunnels , bunkers @ home; growing marijuana; having felony convictions; , being bank robber. (at later trial, gun charges determined entrapment , weaver acquitted.) however, weaver missed february 20, 1991, court date because u.s. probation officer richins mistakenly told weaver trial date march 20, , marshals service (usms) charged bringing weaver in. weaver remained family in mountain top cabin. on august 21, 1992, usms surveillance team fired up, resulting in shootout killed marshal bill degan, samuel weaver , weaver s pet dog. fbi hrt surrounded cabin. next day, lon horiuchi (an fbi hrt sniper) fired @ weaver, missing , killing weaver s wife. subsequent department of justice review , congressional hearing raised several questions actions of atf, usms, usao , fbi hrt , mishandling of intelligence @ usms , fbi headquarters. ruby ridge incident has become lightning rod legal activists within gun rights community.

the second incident waco siege of branch davidian religious sect near waco, texas, on february 28, 1993. atf agents, accompanied press, conducted raid execute federal search warrant on sect s compound, known mt. carmel. branch davidians alerted upcoming warrant execution atf raid leaders pressed on, despite knowing advantage of surprise lost. (atf director steve higgins had promised treasury under secretary enforcement ron noble waco raid canceled if atf undercover agent robert rodriguez reported element of surprise had been lost.) resulting exchange of gunfire killed 6 davidians , 4 atf agents. fbi hrt later took on scene , 51-day stand-off ensued, ending on april 19, 1993, after complex caught fire. follow-up investigation revealed bodies of seventy-six people including twenty children inside compound. grand jury found deaths suicides or otherwise caused people inside building. shortly after raid, bureau s director, stephen e. higgins, retired position.

in december 1994, 2 atf supervisory agents, phillip j. chojnacki , charles d. sarabyn, suspended roles in leading waco raid reinstated, full pay , benefits (with demotion) despite treasury department report of gross negligence. incident removed personnel files.

timothy mcveigh cited these incidents motivation oklahoma city bombing, took place on april 19, 1995, 2 years after end of waco siege.

2000–present

the atf criticized poor planning leading james beck shootout in 2001, resulted in immediate deaths of deputy sheriff suspect, , later suicide of atf agent jeff ryan.

following attacks on september 11, 2001, atf expanded regulations covering fuels used in amateur rocketry, including ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (apcp). 2 rocketry clubs, national association of rocketry (nar), , tripoli rocketry association (tra), argued apcp not explosive , atf s regulations unreasonable. nar , tra won lawsuit against atf in 2009, lifting government restrictions. associations maintain own restrictions, , rocketry regulated federal aviation administration (faa).

between may 2004 , august 2005, atf agents, in conjunction virginia state, county, , city police, conducted operation @ 8 gun shows in richmond area reduce straw purchases criminals. in february 2006 house subcommittee hearing, show s owner said: people approached , discouraged purchasing guns. before attempting purchase, interrogated , accused of being in business without license, detained in police vehicles, , gun buyer s homes visited police, , more. gun salesman testified singled out harassment 2 atf agents. owner of gun shop testified thought agents questioned female customers often. said times had changed , more women shopping guns, adding: seems, however, prevailing opinion law enforcement @ gun show woman brings male friend advice or support must making straw purchase. private investigator said nra contracted go richmond investigate dozens of complaints nra members of massive law enforcement presence, residence checks, , minority buyers being followed, pulled on , legally purchased guns seized. purchasers compelled atf letter appear @ atf offices explain , justify purchases. atf stated pilot program atf planning apply throughout country. in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, atf agents visited gun show s customers homes week after show, demanding see buyers guns or sale paperwork , arresting not—or not—comply.

a september 2008 report justice department s office of inspector general determined 76 firearms , 418 laptop computers lost, stolen or missing atf, after 59-month audit period between 2002 , 2007.

in may 2008, william newell, special agent in charge of phoenix atf office, said: when 90 percent-plus of firearms recovered these violent drug cartels u.s. source, have responsibility can stem illegal flow of these firearms these thugs. according justice department s office of inspector general, atf told oig 90-percent figure ... misleading because applied small portion of mexican crime guns traced. under operations fast , furious, hot handle, , wide receiver, indictments show phoenix atf office, on protests gun dealers , atf agents involved , without notifying mexican authorities, facilitated sale of on 2,500 firearms (ak-47 rifles, fn 5.7mm pistols, , .50 caliber rifles) traffickers destined mexico. many of these same guns being recovered crime scenes in arizona , throughout mexico, artificially inflating atf s etrace statistics of u.s. origin guns seized in mexico. 1 gun alleged weapon used mexican national murder customs , border protection agent brian terry on december 14, 2010. atf , doj denied allegations. after appearing @ congressional hearing, 3 supervisors of fast , furious (william g. mcmahon, newell, , david voth) reported being transferred , promoted atf. atf denied transfers promotions.

in june 2011, vince cefalu, atf special agent 24 years in december 2010 exposed atf s project gunrunner scandal, notified of termination. 2 days before termination, rep. darrell issa (r-ca), chairman of house committee on oversight , government reform, sent letter atf warning officials not retaliate against whistleblowers. cefalu s dismissal followed allegations atf retaliates against whistleblowers. atf spokesman drew wade denied bureau retaliating declined comment cefalu s case.

in 2015, proposal atf prohibit sales of .223 cartridges dropped following negative response public , legislature.

in 2017, information leaked proposal deputy director of atf (the number 2 official) deregulate firearm sound suppressors , other pro-gun actions taken, known white papers . these merely opinion , of have no legal bearing.