Firearms and Explosives: Information and Observations on ATF Law Enforcement Operations

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' (BATF) firearms and explosives activities, focusing on: (1) the types of cases the BATF Office of Law Enforcement investigates; (2) how BATF special agent allocations are determined; (3) how BATF sets firearms and explosives law enforcement priorities; (4) the results of BATF firearms and explosives cases; (5) how the BATF Office of Law Enforcement uses referrals; (6) the effectiveness of BATF firearms traces; and (7) how BATF handles firearms and explosives it takes into custody.