The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has pressured out its second-in-command, Deputy Director Marvin Richardson, and changed him with profession authorities agent Robert Cekada.
Richardson, a 35-year veteran of the company, was reportedly given a alternative: resign or be eliminated. In line with sources acquainted with the matter who spoke to Reuters, Richardson submitted his resignation late Wednesday after strain mounted from high brass inside the Trump administration.
Moving into the function is Robert Cekada, who has been with the ATF since 2005.
Cekada’s appointment has drawn speedy scrutiny from conservatives, who query whether or not his intensive background in regulatory enforcement alerts a extra aggressive strategy to concentrating on lawful gun homeowners.
With a resume that features overseeing ATF’s Workplace of Regulatory Operations and serving as Particular Agent in Cost of high-profile discipline divisions, Cekada has spent a lot of his profession navigating the intersection of regulation enforcement and federal gun coverage.
In line with ATF’s website:
Robert Cekada was appointed because the Deputy Director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in April 2025. Because the second highest rating official at ATF, he’s chargeable for main an company of women and men charged with imposing legal guidelines and laws associated to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco trafficking.
Previous to this appointment, Mr. Cekada served because the Govt Assistant Director – Operations, Workplace of the Director since September 2022. On this place, he oversaw ATF’s Workplace of Regulatory Operations, Workplace of Discipline Operations, and the Workplace of Intelligence Operations.
From January 2022 to September 2022, Mr. Cekada served because the Deputy Assistant Director Central, Discipline Operation, the place he was chargeable for operational and regulatory oversight of the 19 States situated inside the central area of america.
Beforehand, he served because the Particular Agent in Cost (SAC) of the Miami Discipline Division, the place he was chargeable for oversight of all ATF legal enforcement and regulatory operations in 21 places of work situated throughout southern Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He additionally served because the SAC of the Baltimore Discipline Division, overseeing legal enforcement and regulatory operations in Maryland and Delaware.
Previous to that task, Mr. Cekada served because the Assistant Particular Agent in Cost of the Philadelphia Discipline Division and the Resident Agent in Cost of the Excessive Depth Drug Trafficking Space Activity Drive North within the Miami Discipline Division. He additionally serves as a board member on the Nationwide Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board and on the IACP Firearms Committee.
Mr. Cekada started his ATF profession as a Particular Agent within the Baltimore Discipline Division’s Hyattsville II Discipline Workplace, engaged on the Regional Space Gang Enforcement Activity Drive from 2005 to 2011. From there, he joined the Tampa Discipline Division for 2 years earlier than reporting to ATF headquarters in 2013, initially as a challenge officer within the Firearms Operations Division’s Frontline Department, after which as a program supervisor serving as a particular assistant to senior leaders.
Previous to becoming a member of ATF, Mr. Cekada served as an area regulation enforcement officer with two businesses. From 1992 to 2000, he was a police officer with the New York Metropolis Police Division. He was assigned to the Housing Bureau, Citywide Anti-Gang Enforcement Unit, and the Avenue Crime Unit, the place he was promoted to detective.
After becoming a member of the Organized Crime Management Bureau’s Gang Division, he targeted his efforts on gun violence attributed to gang exercise. Mr. Cekada then joined the Metropolis of Plantation Police Division in Broward County, Florida, the place he served with the Patrol Division and Particular Weapons and Techniques Workforce from 2001 to 2005.
Cekada’s appointment comes after U.S. Military Secretary Dan Driscoll was tapped as the brand new performing director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), changing FBI Director Kash Patel.
Learn extra:
Trump Replaces Kash Patel with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as Acting ATF Chief
