Risks And Challenges Of A Profession Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms And Explosives Agent

Sherlock Holmes once said “In this profession, one has to take chances.” What he means by this is that no matter how small or how big the job is someone always has to take chances to keep us safe. Working undercover to infiltrate crime groups is the most dangerous assignment law enforcement can have. They have to live and breathe the role they are playing or they risk their lives. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Agents (ATF) protect our community every day. The career of an ATF agent involves protecting communities from violent criminals and criminal organization who are illegally trafficking firearm, explosive and committing acts of arson, bombings, and terrorism.

In February 26, 1993 6 people were killed and more than 1,000 innocent lives were injured. A 200 by 100 ft hole was created by an explosion on a Ryder truck made from the main suspect Ramzi Yousef because he said “he did it to avenge the sufferings Palestinian people had endured at the hands of US-aided Israel” (CNN). Not only was Ramzi involved there was 6 other suspect that also a part of this bombing. More than 50,000 people were evacuated because of the explosive. Between February 26, 1993 - February 18, 2017 there was a lot happening that it went on for 12 years. Two days after the bombing the FBI had confirmed that the bomb caused the explosion that Mr. Yousef had planted. On March 4, 1993 Mohammad Salameh another suspect was arrested after he claims a refund on a rented van which authorities believe carried the explosives. The day after authorities found bomb making chemicals at a shed Salameh rented. 5 days later another suspect named Nidal Ayyad is arrested in New Jersey.

On 18 of March 1993 Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman denies involvement in the bombing. Rahman is an Egyptian cleric who emigrated to the United States. 6 day later a new suspect Mahmud Abouhalima is arrested in Egypt and flown to the United States. March 29, 1993 The World Trade Center reopens. Not until 2 months later they find their 6th suspect, Ahmad Ajaj. August 25, 1993 Shik Omar was indicted for involvement in a large terrorist plot that includes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. October 4, 1993 a trial is open for four of the defendants: Mohammed Salameh, Nidal Ayyad, Mahmud Abouhalima, and Ahmad Ajaj. On March 4, 1994 a year later those four are convicted and they are sentenced to prison for 240 years each. In 1998, the sentences were vacated, and in 1999, the men are re-sentenced to more than 100 years. The bombing mastermind Ramzi Ahmed Yousef is captured on February 7, 1995 by the FBI and State Department. Yousef was then sentenced to 240 years in prison on January 8, 1998. The driver of the van Eyad Ismoil is sentenced to 240 years in prison as well on April 3, 1998. On February 18, 2017 just last year Omar Abdel - Rahman who inspired terrorist passes away in prison at the age of 78 (CNN).

As an ATF agent they will go to the crime scene and tape off the scene if not already. When explosive are involved like this case they will work with explosives specialists, explosives enforcement, officers, fire investigator and a criminal science specialists. They then will start to ask all the witness and first responders what happened and they make sure to write down any information they get or see. They will then start taking pictures of everything so they can examine a lot better in the lab on what and how this bomb exploded. At a crime scene an ATF agent will have different roles. One will take all the pictures, collect all the evidence and another may ask any witness what happened. Just to make it easier for them because they have a lot to deal with and they don’t want to be unorganized. As each group does their job the person that is examining the explosive they will identify why the explosive was so strong and what kind of chemical the suspects had used to make this bomb. They then will label every evidence they find, seal it up and take it to the lab. Once they get to the lab they will processes the bomb scene and try to recreate what happened.

ATF stands for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. ATF is a law enforcement agency in the United States’ Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, the illegal use and storage of explosives, acts of arson and bombings, acts of terrorism, and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. They partner with communities, industries, law enforcement, and public safety agencies to safeguard the public they serve through information sharing, training, research, and use of technology. The special agents of the ATF are called upon to investigate crimes related to above areas, which includes performing undercover and surveillance work. To be a special agent you have to be willing to be on call for anything and everything, you also have to be willing to help protect and keep the community safe. ATF agent are trained hard to be prepared. Some people work undercover risking their lives to keep us safe. They have a lot of responsibility on their hand they are train hard to be prepared for any type of call. “Part of an agent’s job is to collect, examine and document information to use for court. Therefore, they must have the ability to write well”.

Not only does an agent have to be able to know what they are working with but, they also have to be able to have good writing skills. If an agent does not have any good writing skills, let’s say while they are on the stand and the defense attorney brings up their work about the case to question the agent but cannot read their work or what they are trying to say then the juries may think this agent is very unorganized and does not know how to write well. All ATF agents that write about a case has to make sure that they re-read plenty of times and they also make sure that they have their work proof read by another agent to catch any mistakes. The career of an ATF special agent is unique and one of the most difficult in federal law enforcement. ATF has field offices throughout the United States and its area their headquarters is located in Washington, DC. They are also extremely trained, special agents are responsible for investigating violations of federal laws relating to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco diversion. These investigations involve surveillance, interviewing suspects and witnesses, making arrests, obtaining and conducting search warrants, and searching for physical evidence. The profession of special agent is exciting and rewarding. Special agents must be tough both physically and mentally (ATF). Not only do you have to have the skills or being that one person that is different from everyone else but you also have to be in shape to become an ATF agent. They must also be able to handle extreme training, personal risks, crazy hours, and extensive travel. Special agents are subject to reassignment to any ATF office in the United States, to include any U.S. territory or ATF overseas assignment.

To become an ATF agent it is very similar to other federal law enforcement positions, ATF agents must be able to meet the education and/or experience requirements at the GL-5 level, the minimum pay level at which ATF agents are hired. GL-5: to qualify at the GL-5 level, individuals must have at least three years of experience, with at least one year of specialized experience equal to the GL-4 level. Specialized experience includes criminal investigation or law enforcement experience that involved the application of laws related to criminal violations. Depending on the needs of the ATF, the Bureau may require individuals to meet the requirements at the GL-7 or GL-9 level, which require applicant to possess education GL-7: candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree in Criminal justice, Sociology, Psychology, Political science. The applicant must possess either a 2.95 GPA or higher in all undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of study or a 3.45 GPA or higher in all courses related to the major course of study or within the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants must also have ranked in the upper one-third of their college class and hold membership in a national honor society. Don’t be afraid to try and apply to be an ATF because they will not say no. They are willing to hire anyone that is showing them they want to be there and that they are different. At a crime an ATF will take more of a similar approach like a regular crime scene investigator. They will first have a meeting in an office about the case. They will then assign each ATF agent a responsibility at the scene such as one agent with take pictures, other will collect all evidence and so on. The reason why they do this because it makes things a lot easier for them and keeps them organized. They have a meeting before going to the crime scene because they need an operational plan before taking on this case.

The profession of an ATF agent calls for protecting communities from violent criminals and criminal organizations who are illegally trafficking firearms, explosives and committing acts of arson, bombings, and terrorism. Working undercover to infiltrate crime groups is the most dangerous assignment any law enforcement can have. Sherlock Holmes once said “In this profession, one has to take chances”. What he means by this is that any law enforcement job faces a higher risk of being injured not on duty compared to when they are responding to an emergency call.