The Justice Department wants to merge the Drug Enforcement Administration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part a dramatic shift in DOJ agencies, the Washington Post reports. A memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to department leaders suggested transferring INTERPOL Washington, a part of the Justice Department that coordinates with law enforcement agencies around the world, to the U.S. Marshals Service. Other proposed changes in the memo include merging all the Justice Department's grant offices into one, There could be reductions to the tax enforcement division, with its attorneys transferred to U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the nation. The tax division generates revenue through its enforcement. The memo requested feedback on the proposals by Wednesday. It was unclear which changes could be executed without congressional approval. President Trump has asked agency heads to develop organization plans that would reduce their workforce. The memo calls to move units focused on criminal enforcement — including the civil division’s consumer protection branch — to the criminal division.
The Justice Department oversees a half-dozen component agencies whose leaders report to the attorney general. They include the FBI, ATF, DEA, the Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Each is tasked with carrying out a distinct mission. ATF works with local law enforcement to regulate guns and solve gun crimes. The Marshals Service has a portfolio that includes protecting federal judges and courthouses and arresting suspects in federal crimes. The Bureau of Prisons manages federal prisons, and the DEA combats drug manufacturing and trafficking. ATF has long been viewed by Republicans as a political entity that aims to regulate guns beyond what the Second Amendment allows. More than a half-dozen Republicans in Congress have called for abolishing the agency. Blanche’s memo does not say whether ATF’s 5,500-person workforce would merge with the DEA or if certain functions would be eliminated or moved elsewhere. The memo mentions reducing the number of attorneys working on investigations related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act. It also proposes reducing the number of attorneys dedicated to investigating violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed prosecutors to limit the circumstances in which they bring charges under these acts.
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