Biden’s ATF revokes many licenses in gun dealer crackdown.
The Biden Administration Cracks Down on Gun Dealers
The Biden administration has taken a strong stance against the gun industry, revoking the licenses of hundreds of gun dealers. This crackdown comes as a surprise, as law enforcement has traditionally viewed gun dealers as valuable allies.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has already revoked 122 licenses this fiscal year, in addition to the 90 licenses pulled last year. This marks a significant increase compared to previous years, with the highest number of licenses revoked in a single year prior to this being 81. In fiscal year 2021, only 27 licenses were revoked, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Previously, the ATF hesitated to revoke licenses, as gun dealers were seen as crucial in identifying suspicious customers and aiding in investigations into illegal gun sales. Warnings were often issued instead of full license revocation. However, the Biden administration has taken a more aggressive approach, leading to concerns among former officials.
“The gun dealers were our first line of defense against gun trafficking,” retired ATF deputy assistant director Peter Forcelli told WSJ. “Why are we now beating an ally into submission?”
While some argue that the Biden administration’s tougher stance is necessary to rein in rule-breakers who took advantage of previous administrations’ leniency, others believe it is an unfair and hostile approach.
“The ATF, previous to this administration, had a ‘Let’s see if we can help you’ attitude and some gun dealers took advantage of that,” retired ATF official Rick Vasquez said.
The ATF maintains that it is simply enforcing the law and holding those who willfully violate it accountable.
“Federal Firearms Licensees are often our first line of defense against gun crime and are often a source of critical enforcement information that helps law enforcement identify straw purchasers and disrupt firearms trafficking schemes,” ATF spokeswoman Kristina Mastropasqua told Fox News. “FFLs that willfully violate the law, however, must be held accountable. ATF conducts inspections to ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations and to educate licensees on the specific requirements of those laws and regulations.”
Concerns and Controversies Surrounding the Crackdown
The ATF, with its 816 industry operative investigators, oversees approximately 50,000 licensed gun dealers nationwide. Some individuals targeted by the ATF’s enforcement actions argue that the Biden administration is being overly hostile and acting in bad faith.
One such case involves Russell Fincher, a part-time gun dealer in a small town in Oklahoma. Fincher claims that the ATF raided his home with seven SUVs full of armed agents after he had invited them in. The agents had previously identified traces on some of his guns and found a paperwork error. Eventually, Fincher agreed to surrender his Federal Firearms License (FFL) while the ATF confiscated an estimated $50,000 worth of firearms.
“They have my life in the palm of their hands, and they have very little accountability,” Fincher said. “I’m just trying to make a living and it takes three jobs just to make ends meet. Dealing as little as I have with the ATF, when you ask them a specific question, they’ll tell you it’s a grey area. Well, a grey area can send you to jail. I’m not Hunter Biden. I’m not going to get my weapon charges dropped.”
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