The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF or BATF or BATFE) is a federal agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include investigating crimes involving firearms and explosives, acts of arson, and illegal trafficking of alcohol and tobacco products.

Organizational history

The BATFE was formerly part of the United States Department of the Treasury, having been formed in 1886 as the "Revenue Laboratory" within the Treasury Department's Bureau of Internal Revenue. The history of BATFE can be subsequently traced to the time of the "Revenuers" and the Bureau of Prohibition. This name was retained by the agency until the repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933. Special Agent Eliot Ness and his band of "Untouchables" were members of BATFE's predecessor organization. In the early 1950s, the name of the Bureau of Internal Revenue was changed to "Internal Revenue Service" (IRS) and, in July of 1972, the ATF was effectively separated from the IRS.

On November 25, 2002, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 split the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms into two different parts.

• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was renamed the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives" and was moved from the Treasury Department to the Justice Department. The Bureau remains known by the acronym "ATF."
• The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) remained within the Treasury Department and continues to operate most of the tax collection side.

The changes took effect January 24 2003.

Criticism of the Bureau

Two incidents in the early 1990s brought criticism to the agency, as well as to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), specifically the F.B.I.'s so called "hostage rescue team," and U.S. Marshals (USM).

The first incident involved the Branch Davidian raid in Waco, Texas, which ended in the fiery deaths of nearly one hundred men, women, and children. The disastrous raid took place because it was alleged that certain individuals had not paid a tax on certain firearms the group allegedly possessed.

The second incident was the Ruby Ridge incident, where a young boy was shot in the back and killed with a machine gun by a federal agent, and a woman holding her baby at her doorway was shot in the head by a highly skilled federal sniper. This raid stemmed from an alleged violation involving a shotgun that was 1/4 inch too short. U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno under the direction of President Bill Clinton ordered the raid of the Branch Davidian complex, and the incident at Ruby Ridge.

The Jewish gun-rights organization JPFO accuses the ATF of manipulating evidence in the case of competition shooter John Glover and sells a video that allegedly proves the ATF "supports a culture of cruel ineptitude."^*

More recently, the ATF raided gun parts manufacturer Richard Celeta of Dillon, Montana.^*This case is notable as Celeta sells "80% Complete" guns, which are uncompleted firearms that require more labor to be functional.

External links

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives website
• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau website
• JFPO Articles Concerning BATF Potential Abuse of Power

United States federal law enforcement agencies | Firearm laws | United States Department of Justice | Pan Am Flight 103

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