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.
Division Management Team
- Vacant
- Special Agent In Charge (SAC)
- Vacant
- 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
Baytown Man Gets More Federal Prison Time for Exportation of Firearms
January 30, 2012
HOUSTON — Manuel Gomez Barba, of Baytown, Texas, has been sentenced to 100 months for exportation of firearms, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) acting Special Agent in Charge Gary Orchowski and Immigration and Customs Enforcement — Homeland Security Investigations (ICE–HSI) Special Agent in Charge Robert Rutt.More »
ATF, Crime-Stoppers and Local Law Enforcement Offer Reward for Information on Gun Store Burglaries
January 26, 2012
HOUSTON – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Crime Stoppers of Houston and local law enforcement agencies announce today a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons responsible for eight burglaries at Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in the Houston area. More »
Port Arthur Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery Spree
January 26, 2012
BEAUMONT, Texas — A 31–year–old Port Arthur, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a crime spree targeting area businesses in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.More »
Pharr Man Sentenced to Prison for Lying to Buy Almost Two Dozen Firearms Destined for Mexico
January 25, 2012
McALLEN, Texas – Lying to buy almost two dozen firearms destined for Mexico has netted a Pharr, Texas, man a prison term, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.More »
Laredo Man Gets 10 Years for Illegal Possession
January 12, 2012
LAREDO, Texas – Ruben Ibarra, 37, of Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today along with Laredo Police Department Chief Carlos R. Maldonado. The conviction and sentence stems from an altercation at the Coyote Creek Bar and Grill restaurant during the early morning hours of Feb. 28, 2011, involving Ibarra and Fernando Perez, 28, also of Laredo.More »