Justice Department eyes combining ATF and DEA as part of broad restructuring
Mar 27, 2025, 10:10 AM | Updated: 12:26 pm
FILE - The Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington is photographed early in the morning, May 14, 2013. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Justice Department leadership is proposing cutting some offices and dramatically restructuring the department, including combining the two agencies responsible for enforcing drug and gun laws, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.
The memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is seeking feedback on a reorganization plan that would combine the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into a single agency 鈥渢o achieve efficiencies in resources, case deconfliction, and regulatory efforts.鈥�
It鈥檚 part of a push by the Trump administration to reshape and reduce federal government agencies. President Donald Trump has directed agencies to develop plans for eliminating employee positions and consolidating programs.
The Justice Department plan calls for combining policy offices and eliminating Justice field offices around the country, including the Antitrust Division offices in Chicago and San Francisco.
Tax division lawyers as well as employees in the section that handles public corruption cases would be reassigned to U.S. attorneys offices, except for a 鈥渃ore team of supervisory attorneys” that would remain in Washington, according to the proposal.
A Justice Department spokesperson didn’t immediately provide a comment on the plan, which is not been finalized. Heads of Justice Department agencies were instructed to respond with any concerns about the proposals by April 2.
