A memo circulating within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has revealed a bold and potentially controversial proposal: merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
First reported by Reuters journalist Sarah N. Lynch, the March 25 memo outlines what could become one of the largest DOJ restructurings since the post-9/11 era. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche ordered agency heads to provide feedback on the plan by April 2. Though the proposal is still in its early stages, it’s stirring serious concern among gun rights advocates, policy watchers, and even some within federal law enforcement circles.
What’s in the Memo?
According to the Reuters article, the memo argues the merger would help “achieve efficiencies in resources, case deconfliction and regulatory efforts.” The plan aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader directive to streamline federal government operations, cutting bureaucracy and consolidating overlapping agencies. DOJ leaders are also considering merging grant offices, eliminating community outreach programs, and reassigning or cutting staff in several divisions, including civil rights and environmental enforcement.
Gun Owners of America Responds
Gun Owners of America (GOA) sounded the alarm in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating bluntly that the move “would be a DISASTER for gun owners and the Second Amendment.” Their concern isn’t just about structural changes; it’s about what happens when two powerful enforcement arms combine into one “super agency.” GOA believes this would supercharge the ATF’s authority rather than rein it in. As highlighted in a video by Langley Outdoors Academy, GOA insists that “ATF headquarters must be abolished,” not absorbed into a larger entity where oversight might become even more difficult.
Langley Outdoors Academy: From Frying Pan Into the Fire
Braden Langley of the Langley Outdoors Academy painted a dire picture of what this merger could mean. He described it as “a terrible idea” and warned that combining the two agencies would only multiply their funding, increase agent numbers, and dilute accountability. Langley walked viewers through the numbers: the DEA has a 2024 budget of $3.28 billion and around 4,600 agents. The ATF, by comparison, has about $1.6 billion and 2,500 agents. Combined, the new agency would have nearly 7,000 agents and over $5 billion in resources. “You’ve gone out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Langley warned.
Washington Gun Law: Is This Just Restructuring?
William Kirk of Washington Gun Law offered a more tempered but still cautious take. He acknowledged that many people want to see the ATF abolished but suggested this merger may be a step in that direction – albeit indirectly. Kirk noted that ATF press releases often take credit for busts initiated by local law enforcement or DEA task forces, showing that operational overlap already exists. “So in many ways,” he said, “this actually makes a little bit of sense.” But he also emphasized that nothing will happen without Congressional approval, and that might be a steep climb, even with a Republican-controlled legislature.
Liberty Doll: Watch the Fine Print
In a video breakdown, YouTuber Liberty Doll raised several red flags. First and foremost, she noted the complete lack of detail in the memo. It proposes smashing two powerful agencies together but doesn’t say how it will work or what the goals truly are. “There is literally no detail,” she said. “We don’t know how this could help rein in ATF abuses – or if it would at all.” Liberty Doll emphasized that as long as the laws themselves remain on the books, merging agencies does nothing to stop enforcement; it might just hide it better.
Political Resistance and Support
The proposal has attracted criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Gun control groups like Giffords have oddly aligned with conservative critics by warning that the merger could defund essential enforcement operations. Emma Brown, executive director at Giffords, claimed “cutting resources from ATF would be literally defunding the police.” Meanwhile, Stacey Young of the newly formed Justice Connection slammed the proposal for potentially weakening law enforcement’s ability to combat gun violence and drug trafficking. The fact that both gun control and gun rights groups oppose the same plan, but for opposite reasons, reveals how divisive and unclear the proposal is.
Structural Uncertainty
One of the most confusing aspects is the leadership vacuum. As Reuters noted, FBI Director Kash Patel is currently also acting as head of the ATF – an unusual dual role. Trump has nominated Terry Cole to lead the DEA, but there’s no full-time ATF director yet. Some observers, like Langley, see this as a deliberate setup: create an acting leadership gap at ATF to make the merger easier to execute. If there’s no confirmed ATF head, there’s no one to push back when the agency is absorbed into a new entity.
Congressional Approval Still Required
Despite all the buzz, it’s important to remember that the merger is still a proposal. As Liberty Doll and Washington Gun Law both stressed, Congress would need to approve any reorganization of federal agencies at this scale. And while Republicans do control both houses, their majorities are razor-thin. It’s not at all clear that a legislative appetite exists for such a sweeping change. That means even if DOJ wants to move forward, it may take months – or years – before anything actually happens.
What Could This Mean for Gun Owners?
Here’s where things get real. For many Second Amendment supporters, the ATF has long been seen as a hostile agency. From controversial rule changes to aggressive enforcement actions, the agency has been under fire for years. Some hoped Trump’s return would lead to its abolition. Instead, it now looks like it might just get rebranded – and possibly shielded under the broader mission of the DEA. The merger could mask ATF activities, making it harder for watchdog groups and legislators to track its impact on lawful gun owners.
Smoke, Mirrors, or Strategic Reform?
There’s a strange irony here. This might be the only DOJ shakeup in history criticized equally by both pro-gun and gun control groups. Maybe that says something about the confusion and lack of clarity in the proposal. On the surface, the idea of streamlining overlapping agencies makes some sense. But when it involves two of the most powerful enforcement arms in the country, with no public roadmap and no explanation of who reports to whom – it starts to look more like bureaucratic camouflage than reform.
Bigger Doesn’t Mean Better
What’s most fascinating – and most concerning – is the idea that this merger could grow enforcement power while hiding it. If the goal was to reduce the ATF’s influence, that could’ve been done through funding cuts or legislative action. Instead, this approach risks turning two controversial agencies into one supercharged juggernaut, backed by a bigger budget and more agents. Sometimes, merging fire and gasoline doesn’t make a fire department – it just makes a bigger fire.
Where It Stands Now
With the April 2 feedback deadline looming, DOJ officials are collecting input from internal department heads. That’s step one. After that, if the plan moves forward, Congress would have to get involved. Until then, it remains a proposal – but one worth watching closely. Whether you see it as a bureaucratic cleanup or a Trojan horse, the merger of ATF and DEA would reshape how federal law enforcement interacts with everything from drug trafficking to gun regulation.
Let’s see what happens next.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.