BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is welcoming the nomination of Robert Cekada to head the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he currently serves as deputy director.
“We recall when Mr. Cekada was named Deputy Director back in April that he received high praise from many in the firearms community,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “He brings considerable experience, along with what we believe are truly pro-Second Amendment views, which would be a delightful change from the previous administration.”
Cekada, who was nominated Wednesday by President Donald Trump, served previously as a special agent-in-charge of the Miami Field Division and the Baltimore Field Division. Prior to that he was the Assistant Special Agent in Charge in Philadelphia, and resident Agent in Charge in Miami. More recently, he has served as the Executive Assistant Director – Operations, Office of the Director since September 2022, where he oversaw ATF’s Office of Regulatory Operations, Office of Field Operations, and the Office of Intelligence Operations, according to an online biography.
“With these credentials,” Gottlieb observed, “Mr. Cekada comes qualified to head the agency, which is changing its focus under the current administration. He has come up through the ranks, starting his career as a Special Agent in the Baltimore Field Division’s Hyattsville II Field Office some 20 years ago.
“Having someone with his institutional knowledge taking the helm could be what the agency needs to straighten its course,” Gottlieb said. “We will look forward to the confirmation process, where his views about gun ownership and the Second Amendment will be on full display.”