The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has forced out its second-in-command, Deputy Director Marvin Richardson, and replaced him with career government agent Robert Cekada.
Richardson, a 35-year veteran of the agency, was reportedly given a choice: resign or be removed. According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters, Richardson submitted his resignation late Wednesday after pressure mounted from top brass within the Trump administration.
Stepping into the role is Robert Cekada, who has been with the ATF since 2005.
Cekada’s appointment has drawn immediate scrutiny from conservatives, who question whether his extensive background in regulatory enforcement signals a more aggressive approach to targeting lawful gun owners.
With a resume that includes overseeing ATF’s Office of Regulatory Operations and serving as Special Agent in Charge of high-profile field divisions, Cekada has spent much of his career navigating the intersection of law enforcement and federal gun policy.
According to ATF’s website:
Robert Cekada was appointed as the Deputy Director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in April 2025. As the second highest ranking official at ATF, he is responsible for leading an agency of men and women charged with enforcing laws and regulations related to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco trafficking.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Cekada served as the Executive Assistant Director – Operations, Office of the Director since September 2022. In this position, he oversaw ATF’s Office of Regulatory Operations, Office of Field Operations, and the Office of Intelligence Operations.
From January 2022 to September 2022, Mr. Cekada served as the Deputy Assistant Director Central, Field Operation, where he was responsible for operational and regulatory oversight of the 19 States located within the central region of the United States.
Previously, he served as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Miami Field Division, where he was responsible for oversight of all ATF criminal enforcement and regulatory operations in 21 offices located across southern Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also served as the SAC of the Baltimore Field Division, overseeing criminal enforcement and regulatory operations in Maryland and Delaware.
Prior to that assignment, Mr. Cekada served as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Field Division and the Resident Agent in Charge of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force North in the Miami Field Division. He also serves as a board member on the National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board and on the IACP Firearms Committee.
Mr. Cekada began his ATF career as a Special Agent in the Baltimore Field Division’s Hyattsville II Field Office, working on the Regional Area Gang Enforcement Task Force from 2005 to 2011. From there, he joined the Tampa Field Division for two years before reporting to ATF headquarters in 2013, initially as a project officer in the Firearms Operations Division’s Frontline Branch, and then as a program manager serving as a special assistant to senior leaders.
Prior to joining ATF, Mr. Cekada served as a local law enforcement officer with two agencies. From 1992 to 2000, he was a police officer with the New York City Police Department. He was assigned to the Housing Bureau, Citywide Anti-Gang Enforcement Unit, and the Street Crime Unit, where he was promoted to detective.
After joining the Organized Crime Control Bureau’s Gang Division, he focused his efforts on gun violence attributed to gang activity. Mr. Cekada then joined the City of Plantation Police Department in Broward County, Florida, where he served with the Patrol Division and Special Weapons and Tactics Team from 2001 to 2005.
Cekada’s appointment comes after U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was tapped as the new acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), replacing FBI Director Kash Patel.
Read more:
Trump Replaces Kash Patel with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as Acting ATF Chief
The post New ATF Deputy Director, Who Has Been with the Agency Since 2005, Appointed After Second-in-Command Was Forced Out in Major Shakeup appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.