The Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Division of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service raids the home of Ken Ballew for illegal possession of hand grenades.
The Ken Ballew raid was a federal raid on June 7, 1971, on the home of Kenyon F. "Ken" Ballew which became a cause clbre in the debates between advocates of gun control and advocates of gun ownership rights in the United States.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), also referred to as BATFE, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention of federal offenses involving the unlawful use, manufacture, and possession of firearms and explosives; acts of arson and bombings; and illegal trafficking and tax evasion of alcohol and tobacco products. The ATF also regulates via licensing the sale, possession, and transportation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives in interstate commerce. Many of the ATF's activities are carried out in conjunction with task forces made up of state and local law enforcement officers, such as Project Safe Neighborhoods. The ATF operates a unique fire research laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, where full-scale mock-ups of criminal arson can be reconstructed. The agency is led by Marvin Richardson, Acting Director. Richardson previously served as the Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, the second highest ranking official at ATF, from October 2019 to June 2021. The ATF has 5,101 employees and an annual budget of $1.274 billion (2019).