Houston Field Division
Photo used under Creative Commons from flickr user Adam Baker
Welcome to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Houston Field Division website. The Houston Division includes all of Southern Texas from Del Rio, San Antonio, Waco and Austin over to Beaumont and down to Corpus Christi, McAllen and Laredo. Our dedicated employees are special agents, investigators, auditors, technicians and support staff.
ATF Houston is committed to reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods. We accomplish this by targeting specific criminal organizations, gun traffickers and violent offenders under Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Gunrunner and the Violent Crime Impact Teams.
Explosives and arson enforcement is an integral part of ATF’s overall violent crime reduction strategy. ATF Houston special agents combat arson and explosives-related crimes by conducting independent investigations and by working in partnership with local and state fire investigators and police bomb squads.
ATF also has the duty of regulating the firearms and explosives industries. Our industry operations investigators work to ensure that all firearms and explosives are stored, handled and sold in a safe manner according to law.
Since Houston is the number one origination point of firearms recovered in crimes in Mexico, firearms trafficking is an investigative priority. Recently we detailed 100 agents, investigators and support staff for 120 days to Houston and the border with Mexico to combat firearms trafficking. The initiative, called Gunrunner Impact Teams (GRIT) was very successful resulting in hundreds of criminal investigations and over 1000 firearms dealer inspections.
We encourage all residents to get involved and assist us in our goal of reducing crime in our communities. Give us a call and let us know what we can do for you.
Melvin D. King
Division Management Team
- Melvin D. King
- Special Agent In Charge (SAC)
- Todd Reichert
- Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC)
- Gary Orchowski
- Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC)
- Crisanto Perez
- Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC)
- Tanarra James
- Director of Industry Operations (DIO)
- Franceska Perot
- Public Information Officer (PIO)
Division Contact Information
Receive Houston Press Release Updates
ATF National Response Team Activated to Investigate San Antonio Church Fire
February 4, 2014
SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team (NRT) along with ATF Special Agents from the Houston Field Division, San Antonio Field Office were activated Saturday at the request of the San Antonio Fire Department to investigate a fire at the Childress Memorial Church of God in Christ, 901 N. Pine, San Antonio, Texas. More »
Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges
January 31, 2013
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Armando Duenez has entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to export firearms and failure to appear, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Duenez, 31, who entered the plea late yesterday afternoon, was employed as a police officer with the Rio Hondo Police Department during the offense. More »
Pharr Man Handed Sentence for Involvement in Straw Purchase of Firearms
January 22, 2013>
McALLEN, Texas — Alejandro Mendoza, 19, of Pharr, has been handed a federal prison sentence for making false statements in the acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL), commonly known as straw purchasing, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Melvin King, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Mendoza pleaded guilty Aug. 31, 2012. More »
Felon in Possession Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison
January 17, 2013>
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Joshua Wallace, 39, of Corpus Christi, has been handed a 160-month sentence for his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Melvin King Jr., special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Wallace entered a plea of guilty on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. More »
San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Ammunition Smuggling
January 11, 2013>
In San Antonio this morning, United States District Judge sentenced 31-year-old Edward Sandoval to 41 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for purchasing approximately 40,000 rounds of ammunition to be smuggled into the Republic of Mexico, announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Monica Mapel. More »
Laredo Los Zetas Arms Traffickers Plead Guilty
January 10, 2013>
LAREDO, Texas – Pablo Cerda, 36, and Nicolas Sanchez-Reyes, 50, have been convicted for their roles in a conspiracy to export weapons to Mexico destined for Los Zetas drug trafficking organization, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. The two Laredoans both entered pleas to one count of conspiracy to export arms.More »
Port Arthur Man Sentenced in Kidnapping and Carjacking Scheme
January 3, 2013>
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 33-year-old Port Arthur, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison in a carjacking case as a result of Operation Time Machine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today. More »