The plan to merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been discussed for weeks, and opposition to the idea is growing. Gun Owners of America (GOA), one of the most vocal Second Amendment advocacy organizations in the country, has come out swinging, calling the proposed merger a “DISASTER for gun owners and the Second Amendment.”
This brewing controversy raises serious concerns about government overreach, the erosion of constitutional rights, and the potential militarization of federal law enforcement agencies targeting peaceful citizens.
Opposition to the Government Scheme is Growing
While some initial reactions to the proposed ATF/DEA merger expressed cautious optimism—particularly from those who believed it might weaken the ATF’s current firearm enforcement infrastructure—the tide is shifting. A growing number of gun rights advocates now see this plan not as a way to rein in federal agencies, but as a blueprint for expanding their surveillance and enforcement capabilities.
Gun Owners of America didn’t mince words. In addition to their statement on X (formerly Twitter), GOA collaborated with a coalition of constitutional advocacy groups to send a forceful letter to the White House and the Department of Justice. The letter warns that combining the two agencies would not only concentrate federal power in a dangerous way but would also lead to more aggressive and intrusive monitoring of law-abiding gun owners.
Rather than improving public safety, opponents argue the merger could further entrench agencies that have long histories of abuse, overreach, and ineffectiveness—particularly in communities already weary of federal intrusion.
Opponents Warn of the Creation of an Authoritarian ‘Super-Agency’
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), another key Second Amendment watchdog, echoed GOA’s concerns in a sharply worded press release. The FPC said the merger would create an authoritarian “super-agency” capable of unleashing the full power of the federal government on peaceful citizens under the pretext of fighting crime.
“The DOJ’s dangerous proposal would consolidate the ATF and DEA into an authoritarian super-agency with the combined powers to wage the failed war on drugs and enforce unconstitutional federal gun control laws against all Americans, not just violent criminals and drug cartels,” the FPC wrote.
The coalition argues that by merging the two departments, the federal government is blurring the lines between drug enforcement and gun ownership—treating peaceful gun owners as if they were part of violent criminal enterprises. This chilling equivalence could lead to increased surveillance, harsher enforcement tactics, and broader prosecutions, all under the banner of a joint federal mission.
Gun Owners Warn: Peaceful Citizens Will Be the Targets
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the proposal is how it redefines the federal government’s relationship with its citizens. GOA and FPC insist that the merger would do more than simply streamline two agencies; it would permanently shift the government’s focus toward viewing every gun owner as a potential threat.
“By merging the ATF’s firearms enforcement authority into the DEA,” the FPC wrote, “the DOJ is effectively equating peaceable American gun owners with drug cartels, turning millions of law-abiding citizens—as well as their constitutionally protected weapons—into co-equal targets of a militarized federal enforcement regime.”
This dangerous precedent not only threatens the Second Amendment but also undermines civil liberties across the board. Americans should not have to worry that owning a firearm—protected under the Constitution—will result in federal scrutiny usually reserved for narcotics traffickers.
In the coming weeks, gun rights organizations will likely intensify their lobbying against this merger. The battle lines have been drawn: either limit the government’s expanding reach or risk empowering an agency that treats your constitutional rights as criminal behavior.
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