President of the United States of America Donald Trump could soon give another elevation to his close confidant Kashyap aka Kash Patel. Patel was recently confirmed by the US Senate as the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Now as per media reports, Trump is likely to appoint him as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
A few days earlier, Patel got the much needed confirmation from the Senate with a wafer thin margin of 51-49 Senate votes, overcoming concerns regarding his qualifications.
Brief Career profile of Kash Patel
Kash Patel has served three years as a trial attorney at the Justice Department. Previously, he has also held key roles at the National Security Council, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Defense.
He has been a close confidant of several key Trump allies. These include Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Ric Grenell as well as Devin Nunes, chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and CEO of Trump’s Truth Social platform.
As per reports, his anticipated appointment gains strength from the fact that the former ATF Director Steve Dettelbach had resigned in January. Since 2015, Dettelbach had been the first permanent leader of this agency.
Pertinent to note that this agency (ATF) is responsible for tackling illegal arms and substance trafficking. This also includes smuggling activities at the US-Mexico border.
Trump had recently designated drug cartels as global terrorist organisations. Against this backdrop, Kash Patel is expected to be appointed as the ATF Chief as it aligns with the Trump administration’s border security priorities.
As per media reports, an official announcement could come next week which will be followed by a swearing-in ceremony soon after.