U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has been named interim head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), while continuing his role as Army Secretary, according to U.S. officials.
Driscoll replaces Kash Patel, a Trump ally, though the Justice Department declined to explain the sudden change.
Patel was appointed in February and remains listed on the ATF website. The leadership shift comes amid reports that the Justice Department is considering merging the ATF with the DEA to cut costs.
Driscoll, a former Army commander and Yale Law School graduate, has no known law enforcement experience. Meanwhile, under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has seen a surge in job applications, with a record 5,577 in March, suggesting renewed public interest in joining the bureau under his and Deputy Director Dan Bongino’s direction.
