New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of the ATF, official says

WASHINGTON (AP) — New FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday.

Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department's largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives.

The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it's announced publicly. White House officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening.

Patel was sworn in Friday as FBI director after winning Senate approval.

ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation's laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it's in charge of licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing guns used in crimes, and analyzing intelligence in shooting investigations.

The move was first reported Saturday by ABC News.

In an executive order earlier this month, President Donald Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review all actions taken by the Biden administration around firearms “to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens.”