Kash Patel removed as acting ATF director, replaced by Army Secretary, sources say

PHOTO CAPTION: Kash Patel, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the FBI, gestures as he testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

By Sarah N. Lynch, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -     FBI Director Kash Patel was removed as the Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and replaced by U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, seven people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Driscoll will continue to serve as Army Secretary while he also oversees the ATF, an arm of the U.S. Justice Department, said three of the sources, who were granted anonymity to discuss personnel matters that were not yet public.

Patel was sworn in as ATF's acting director in late February, just a few days after he was also sworn in as FBI Director.

A Justice Department official confirmed the change.

It was not immediately clear when Patel was removed from the role. As of Wednesday afternoon, Patel's photo and title of acting director was still listed on the ATF's website.

The abrupt change in leadership comes at a time when senior Justice Department officials are weighing whether to merge the ATF with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an effort to cut costs.

 (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Scott Malone)