Three U.S. officials confirmed to USA TODAY that Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has been appointed acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), while retaining his Army role. The Justice Department confirmed the change but gave no reason for replacing Kash Patel, who had held the ATF post since February. The move comes amid discussions to possibly merge ATF with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a cost-saving measure. Driscoll, confirmed as Army Secretary on February 25, has a military and legal background but no federal law enforcement experience. He previously led a cavalry unit in Iraq and later attended Yale Law School. Patel, a Trump loyalist and recently appointed FBI Director, saw a record number of new agent applications during his short tenure at the FBI. Over 10,000 applications have been submitted since January, with March alone seeing 5,577 — the highest in years. FBI officials credit Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for restoring trust and improving morale, emphasizing their goal of rebuilding a more effective and respected bureau. “The new FBI is heading in the right direction,” said spokesperson Ben Williamson. Patel remains listed as ATF’s interim director as of Wednesday afternoon. His future in that role remains unclear