Components that have offices only in Washington D.C. are not specifically listed on this chart. The Houston division of the ATF is the largest in the entire agency, and is located in the southeast portion of the state. Her uncles enjoyed working at the ATF and they motivated her to pursue a position with the agency. Therefore, we are providing this information so that ATF management may consider Houstons approach to developing local policies and procedures that describe unique regional problems and provide specific considerations and methods for handling issues encountered during operations at gun shows. According to the operational plans, the field office wanted to identify straw purchasers and other individuals selling guns to convicted felons and gather intelligence about the way criminals were obtaining firearms at the gun shows. It has field offices in Little Rock and Fort Smith, Arkansas; Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport, Louisiana; and Biloxi, Jackson, and Oxford, Mississippi. In 1989, after two years with INS in El Paso, Texas Mr. Newell was hired by ATF as a Special Agent-Criminal Investigator and was assigned to the McAllen, Texas Field Office. According to field division personnel, Reno, Nevada, is a gateway for illegal firearms trafficking into California because of its proximity (12 miles from the state line) and Nevadas less stringent gun laws. While Henrico County Police received complaints about its involvement in this gun show operation, in general Henrico officials said they were supportive of ATFs work. One field division has developed local policy for conducting investigative operations at gun shows in its region. Therefore, operations carried out at the May 2005 and August 2005 gun shows included enforcement techniques that were more visible to the public. A Connecticut man was charged yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with assaulting an officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. The second complainant had been indicted recently for selling firearms without a license at a gun show and was angry that his inventory had been seized by ATF. Most gun show promoters and all state and local law enforcement personnel we interviewed supported ATFs operations at gun shows. LAS VEGAS, Nev. A Las Vegas resident has been arrested and charged for allegedly setting fire to the Foley Federal Building and U.S. For reviews of Mcallen Field Office see below. Trustee Program ALABAMA Birmingham: USAO Montgomery: USAO Debbie Peden Asset Forfeiture Investigator Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Houston Field Division. No crew activity within the last 30 days. These visits were made to City of Richmond addresses supplied by potential gun buyers if FFLs delivered their transaction documents directly for background checks to on-site Virginia State Police personnel. At that time, Pedraza was the special agent in charge of the McAllen Field Office, and Rodriguez was a special agent stationed there. Health Service Region 11 McAllen Field Office Department of State Health Services, PHR 11 4501 W US Highway 83 McAllen, TX 78501 Phone: 956-971-1312 Fax: 956-971-1275 Last updated August 22, Local ATF Offices. Upon returning the firearms to Tijerina-Herrera's restaurant, "El Tiburon" in McAllen, Tijerina-Herrera then Many of these offices are further subdivided into smaller resident agencies that have jurisdiction over a specific area. However, 17 of the 18 complainants had not attended the August 2005 show. According to the RAC, ATF agents, and other attendees at the gun shows, this overt approach provided increased contact with potential straw purchasers as agents and officers informed individuals attending the gun shows about the penalties for unlawfully purchasing a firearm for another person. The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, conducted the hearings on February 15 and 28, 2006. Derek Harmon Special Agent IRS-CI Houston Field Office. For maps and directions to Mcallen Field Office view the map to the right. In addition, other Virginia State Police employees conducted National Instant Criminal Background Checks on the site of the gun show for most of the shows. The promoter asked ATF to provide educational materials and training for FFLs at the gun shows so they could better identify straw purchases and other firearms violations. SOUTHEAST FIELD OFFICE 1576 MASSEY AVENUE NAVAL STATION MAYPORT FL 32228 PHONE: 904-270-5361 DSN: 270-7435. The accuracy of the information purchasers provide is particularly important because it is used to initiate the background check process the GCA requires. These enforcement actions were taken off-site of the gun shows. If the visits could not be conducted within 20 minutes by law enforcement officers in the field, the purchases were allowed to proceed. At other times, the investigation may include the suspects illegal firearms activity at a gun show as well as at other locations such as a private residence or gun shop. The SAC said that crime gun trace data shows that Ohio ranks among the top 10 states that are sources for crime guns recovered in the United States. In some cases, ATF agents seized suspects guns and handed them a pre-printed letter telling them they may have violated federal firearms laws and citing a date and time for a follow-up interview. The Houston Field Division conducted general investigative operations at gun shows aimed at regional and cross-border firearms trafficking between Mexico and the United States. Health Service Region 11 McAllen Field Office Department of State Health Services, PHR 11 4501 W US Highway 83 McAllen, TX 78501 Phone: 956-971-1312 Fax: 956-971-1275 Last updated August 22, During our site visits to Richmond and Reno, we interviewed state and local law enforcement officials with the Richmond City Police, Henrico County Division of Police, Virginia State Police, and Washoe (Nevada) County Sheriffs Office. If it appeared that gun purchasers were returning to Mexico with guns, they were stopped at the port of entry and their vehicles searched. Table 3 shows the number of investigative operations at gun shows conducted by each field division. At each of the investigative operations, the RAC said he planned to identify potential straw purchasers and individuals who gave inaccurate information on their federal firearms transaction records, especially those giving false addresses. According to ATF case agents and other ATF personnel we interviewed, sometimes the investigation only involves the suspects illegal firearms activity at a gun show. He was stopped and arrested after being followed from a gun show on suspicion of a straw purchase. ATF agents may receive promotions throughout their careers. (2) The following field offices are established under the Eastern Service Center: (a) The Little Rock Field Office; W. Larry Ford will become Assistant Director of the Office of Field Operations. McAllen, TX. The co-defendants then each lied on ATF Form 4473 when they stated that they were the actual purchasers. Rather, he said the NSSFs concerns center on ATFs regulatory inspections of FFLs. Menu & Reservations Make Reservations . The RAC also expanded the geographic area for the residency checks to include not only the City of Richmond but also all of Henrico County. The RAC instructed agents and police officers to use their judgment as to when and where to make contact with suspects and that possible contact points included FFL tables, snack bars, the on-site Virginia State Police office foyer, or the officers or agents vehicle. A Mexican national with U.S. resident-alien status also was arrested after coordinating straw purchases of 10 high-priced firearms. The analyses included assessments of the initial sources (i.e., FFLs) of guns recovered in crimes based on national crime gun trace data. Contact Us. According to the RAC of the McAllen Field Office and the operational plans we reviewed, potential straw purchasers and other suspects were monitored by surveillance teams working inside the gun shows. ATF Special Agents complied with ATF Headquarters policies and procedures for planning operations at gun shows. Browse Operations involving specific targets at gun shows generally focused on convicted felons who were suspected of buying guns, suspected straw purchasers, individuals selling firearms as a business without a license, persons possessing prohibited firearms such as unregistered machine guns and sawed-off shotguns, and FFLs who were not documenting transactions or requesting background checks as required by federal law. At that time, Pedraza was the special agent in charge of the McAllen Field Office, and Rodriguez was a special agent stationed there. Order 3310.4B states that the SAC is the approving official for all significant/sensitive enforcement activities such as issuing notices, summonses or subpoenas, making arrests, or executing warrants on the gun show or flea market premises, or their adjacent parking lots. However, Order 3210.1A states that an ATF Form 3210.7, ATF Operational Plan, is required for search warrants, arrest warrants, undercover purchases, buy-busts, and/or special undercover operations and shall be submitted to the affected RAC/GS [Group Supervisor] for review and approval. The order goes on to state, the RAC/GS must notify the ASAC of the operation. Surveillance teams working inside the gun show collected information on suspicious activity. The Houston Field Divisions McAllen Field Office conducted general investigative operations at two gun shows in Pharr, Texas, during 2005 and 2006 to identify straw purchasers, co-conspirators, and others who had been facilitating interstate and international firearms trafficking and to determine where traffickers were taking the firearms and ammunition that they purchased at the gun shows. These resident agencies are considered to be part of the primary field offices. In his guidance, the Assistant Director stated, It is not ATF policy to conduct residence checks without reasonable suspicion that criminal violations may exist. ATF officials said that they are incorporating the guidance into ATFs Order 3310.4B, Firearms Enforcement Program. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has delayed a local field office's attempt to resurrect an Obama-era rule that threatens to turn millions of legal gun owners into criminals. The state and local law enforcement officials comments specific to gun show enforcement are summarized below. Each of the three office locations will be staffed by a Gunrunner team, which will consist of Special Agents, Industry Operation Investigators, Intelligence Research Specialists, and Investigative Analysts. Certain USCIS field offices and asylum offices resumed non-emergency face-to-face services to the public on June 4. For this reason, concerns or questions regarding ICE practices, policies and/or programs should first be directed to the local field liaison. According to the RAC of the McAllen Field Office, ATF and other federal and local law enforcement agencies tried to apprehend the traffickers before they could transfer their purchases to prohibited persons or smuggle them into Mexico. The full performance level for ATF agents is Grade 13. The same gun show promoter organized the seven shows, and the promoter and his attorney met with ATF officials on several occasions during the shows. More. The Columbus Field Division has jurisdiction over Ohio and Indiana. The Baltimore Field Division had no investigative operations at gun shows during our review period, but had conducted outreach (educational) programs at gun shows. Richmond City Police officers were directly involved in the eight ATF operations at gun shows in the Richmond area from May 2004 through August 2005. The Houston Field Division has jurisdiction in Central, Southern, and Eastern Texas along with some areas in Western Texas. Two drug cartels are at war in Mexico, and numerous gangs in Houston, Laredo, and McAllen serve as enforcers for the cartels. The RACs and agents stated that evidence of straw purchases is based on behavioral characteristics such as purchasers who are disinterested in or lacking knowledge about the guns they buy, taking buying instructions from a companion or over a cell phone, and presenting identification dated the day of the gun show. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Investigative Operations at Gun Shows, Evaluation and Inspections Report I-2007-007 The promoters stated that they had a good or very good relationship with ATF and that they had never received complaints about ATFs tactics or behavior at their shows. Covert surveillance teams inside the gun shows observed vendor and customer behaviors to identify potential straw purchasers and other illegal activity. We provided copies of the draft report to ATF for review on May 29, 2007. San Antonio, Texas 78238. Recent Activity. The full performance level for ATF agents is Grade 13. Many of the guns the individual sold were later traced to crimes. The SS Office Finder tool is an easy to use and convenient way to locate your local Social Security office. Those recognized for their efforts leading to these charges include Harris County Sheriffs Office, police departments in Houston, Humble, Laredo and Brownsville; Immigration and Customs Enforcements Enforcement Removal Operations; Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, Cameron County Sheriffs Office and Texas Department of Public Safety. These five promoters had a total of 96 years of experience organizing gun shows. Overall, the eight investigative operations conducted by the Washington Field Division at Richmond-area gun shows resulted in 24 arrests and 23 convictions for firearms violations. We reviewed 121 operational plans and found that 120 (99 percent) of these plans complied with ATF policies and procedures regarding operational planning. More. All seven of the promoters told us that illegal gun sales and purchases at gun shows are an appropriate concern and that they expect ATF to enforce federal firearms laws at gun shows. USCIS is temporarily suspending in-person services at all field offices, asylum offices and application support centers on Jan. 19 and 20, to ensure the safety of our employees and for individuals with appointments. Intelligence gathered from this first show was used to plan a longer-term investigation into interstate firearms trafficking. The division also identified regional problems with interstate firearms trafficking between California, which has stringent gun control laws, and the five western states in the divisions jurisdiction, which have less restrictive gun laws. Reviews (956) 664-0250 Website. Virginia State Police officers provided law enforcement support to ATF during the eight operations at Richmond-area gun shows. If so, you've come to the right place. Two divisions of the ATF are located within Texas. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nation-wide program for reducing gun crime violence. For example, the operational plans contained a description of specific targets and vehicles, information describing the operational staging area, lists of personnel and their roles and responsibilities, a tactical narrative describing how the operation was to be conducted, and safety information such as the location of the command post and the nearest hospital. The plans for these operations cited the goals of targeting gun trafficking to Mexico; illegal aliens in possession of guns; armed traffickers purchasing, selling, or exchanging guns for narcotics; convicted felons in possession of firearms; individuals trying to purchase explosives to traffic in Mexico; vendors dealing in firearms as a business without a license; and vendors selling firearms to out-of-state buyers. Two promoters of gun shows in the Richmond, Virginia, area alleged that certain investigative techniques used by ATF Special Agents and a larger than normal on-site presence of ATF Special Agents and other state and local law enforcement officers at their shows during FY 2004 and FY 2005 intimidated gun buyers and hurt show attendance. According the divisions SAC and ASAC as well as our reviews of operational plans and reports of investigation, the Cleveland Group II Field Office conducted general investigative operations at three gun shows held near the Cleveland, Ohio, in 2006. Few Complaints about ATF Before each show, the RAC notified the promoters and property managers that ATF would be conducting operations at the gun show. Virginia State Police officials who observed ATFs performance at the shows told us that ATF Special Agents conducted their work in a professional manner. The 93 U.S. About 75 percent of those guns were recovered in Ohio and the other 25 percent were recovered in other states, primarily in New York. Based on the 121 operational plans, ATF Special Agents complied with ATF Headquarters procedures for operational planning. NSSF representatives meet quarterly with ATF officials to discuss their joint Dont Lie for the Other Guy campaign and to explore other collaborative efforts, such as redesigning the ATF Form 4473 (Firearms Transaction Record) and developing a standardized electronic version of the form. ATF LS Field Office. USCIS will reschedule individuals who had appointments on Jan. 19 and 20 and send them notices with their new appointment dates. We did not receive a completed ATF Form 3210.7, the standard planning template for significant investigative operations. Of the remaining two letters, the first complainant complained about his arrest for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person due to a misdemeanor domestic assault conviction in New Jersey. ATF agents reported that the operations resulted in hundreds of citizen contacts.. Mcallen Field Office is located at the address 1130 Pecan Blvd in Mcallen, Texas 78501. Southeast Texas Field Offices - ATF Home Page. If so, you've come to the right place. However, the U.S. Attorneys Office rarely chose to prosecute a case that involved only an invalid address. Criminal Justice-Dist Parole 1912 Beaumont Ave Mcallen TX 78501. During subsequent operations at Reno gun shows during FY 2004, Special Agents engaged in undercover activities that included Special Agents who were residents of California attempting to purchase firearms in violation of the GCA from licensed and unlicensed dealers. HSIs domestic footprint is supplemented by more than 2,800 task force officers representing key strategic federal, state and local partners in the fight to combat transnational criminal organizations. For example, they said that agents worked inconspicuously to observe unlicensed dealers selling to out-of-state residents and served search warrants to targeted FFLs after the shows closed in the evening. Additionally, ATF seized 5,345 firearms during these investigative operations.35 Table 4 shows the breakdown of the results by field division. ERO is committed to a transparent process and to resolving your concerns as promptly as possible. As a result of the 302 residency checks conducted as part of the eight operations at Richmond-area gun shows, ATF found that 47 purchasers, or 16 percent, provided invalid addresses. Several other federal, state and local agencies also routinely provide substantial cooperation and assistance in these violent crime and firearms initiatives. The San Francisco Field Division has jurisdiction over Northern California and the State of Nevada. ATF Order 3310.4B, Firearms Enforcement Program, contradicts instructions in ATF Order 3210.1A, Operational Planning, regarding approval requirements for operational plans. Albany, N.Y. Field Office Special Agent U.S. Treasury Dept.-Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division Feb 1988 - Feb 1991 3 years 1 month. Although individuals are allowed to sell guns from their personal collections without a federal license, they are not allowed to sell guns for a living without a license. 109-123; or the U.S. House of Representatives website, 109th Congress for Part I on February 15, 2006, and Part II on February 28, 2006, for the transcripts of the hearings.). The Senior Vice President of the NSSF characterized his organizations relationship with ATF as good. Generally, these officials stated that ATF was an important partner in fighting local violent crime and that they supported ATFs activities. ATFs national policies contain contradictory guidance on approving operations. This listing highlights the United States Attorneys' Offices and Justice components with additional field offices located outside the Washington D.C. area. The subjects obtained the weapons either through a third party engaged in straw purchasing or by dealing directly with private sellers who were hobbyists or private gun collectors and therefore not subject to federal regulations. We provide examples of actual intelligence that was the basis for conducting investigative operations at gun shows in the summaries of operations presented on pages 26 through 36. Because the February 2006 congressional hearings raised concerns about investigative techniques used at ATFs operations in Richmond, Virginia, targeting general illegal firearms activity at certain gun shows, we examined some of the general operations conducted by the six field divisions. The Columbus Field Division identified problems with international firearms trafficking between the United States and Canada; interstate trafficking, especially between Ohio and New York and between Indiana and Illinois; and intrastate trafficking by local gangs in Ohio and Indiana. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. ATF Special Agents prepared operational plans for each of the eight Richmond-area operations. The case is being investigated by the FBIs Dallas Field Office and Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Its what makes ATF collectively better. This illegal practice is commonly referred to as "straw purchasing." The physical fitness test consists of sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. According to an ASAC assigned to the division, between Brownsville and Laredo, Texas, 3,000 murders occurred on the Mexican side of the border from FY 2004 through FY 2006. Tampa Field Division More than 60 Aryan Brotherhood Gang Members and Associates Arrested for Violent Crime, Firearms, Fraud, and Drug Trafficking San Francisco Field Division Five of the seven gun show promoters we interviewed from different areas of the country where large numbers of gun shows are held each year complimented ATFs firearms enforcement efforts. According to the operational plans and the SAC, the operations were covert. One concern raised during the congressional hearings was ATFs use of blanket residency checks.37 We found that only the Washington Field Division had used blanket residency checks as an investigative technique (discussed later in the report). According to the operational plans, the ASAC, RAC, and ATF Special Agents conducted surveillance within the gun shows and any enforcement activity occurred away from the gun show premises. She has worked 15 years at the ATF and started as an intern in the McAllen Field Office. The Southeast Field Office (SEFO) is located aboard Mayport Naval Station, in the city of Jacksonville, Florida. According to ATF officials, the Washington Field Division also was the only one of ATFs 23 field divisions to conduct residency checks based on a designated geographic area. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is a trade association with a membership of more than 3,600 firearms manufacturers, distributors, retailers, sportsmens organizations, and publishers. Each office houses staff with specialized expertise to help you address questions or concerns regarding violent crime, federal In FY 2004 through FY 2006, ATF conducted investigative operations at 195 of the estimated 6,000 gun shows held during that period. They also stated that illegal gun sales by unlicensed vendors hurt the legitimate businesses at the shows and that they had all received at least some complaints from FFLs about the activities of unlicensed dealers. 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