New ATF Director Vows to Refocus From Lawful Gun Owners to Violent Criminals

Cekada testified on how the agency would handle gun owner-related sensitive data, why it has proposed 34 new rules, and if it has an illegal firearms registry.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Rob Cekada testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 12, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Robert Cekada, the newly confirmed director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), wants to refocus the agency’s efforts on fighting violent crime rather than regulating legal gun ownership.

“We should be focusing on the criminals, not each other,” Cekada told the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday.