Three U.S. officials confirmed to USA TODAY that U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has assumed the position of acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, one of many law enforcement organizations under the Justice Department’s jurisdiction.

Driscoll remains Army secretary and is now in charge of the ATF, according to two Defense sources. According to USA Today, a Justice Department spokesperson acknowledged that Driscoll had replaced Patel but would not provide an explanation for the personnel change.

Days after taking the oath of office as FBI director, Patel, a fervent supporter of President Donald Trump, was sworn in as the acting director of the ATF in late February. The news was first reported by Reuters.

When Patel will be let go from his job is unknown. Patel’s picture and title as interim director were still up on the ATF website as of Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

Senior Justice Department officials are considering combining ATF with the Drug Enforcement Administration in order to save money, which is why the leadership change occurred so quickly. Continues…