Patel is set to lead an agency that's been a frequent target of Republicans, including an effort to abolish it altogether.

Donald Trump is expected to name FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, sources told ABC News.

ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees ... as both Republican and Democratic administrations failed to get nominees through the politically fraught process.

The ATF was previously led by Biden appointee Steven Dettelback, a former U.S. prosecutor who was its first permanent leader since 2015. Previous administrations were unable to get a nominee ...

ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees ... as both Republican and Democratic administrations failed to get nominees through the politically fraught process. What they're saying ...

after prior administrations were unable to get a nominee confirmed by the Senate. Attorney General Pam Bondi last week fired the chief counsel of ATF, Pamela Hicks, after three years of service ...