Ways Federal Agents Lost Their Firearms

The United States has 73 federal agencies, some of which are the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security, among which Customs and Border Protection belongs to. These agencies employ over 130,000 men and women as federal law enforcement officers who are authorized to make arrests and carry firearms in all 50 states. For many of them, carrying a firearm is a daily requirement and while these individuals receive extensive training in the safe handling and storage of their weapons, mistakes can still happen.

Whenever a federal agent’s service weapon goes missing, the circumstances surrounding the incident are logged. Incidents involving federal law enforcement agents losing their government-issued firearms occur with some regularity. Audit reports from the Office of the Inspector General, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, reveal that 120 firearms – including pistols, rifles, shotguns, and even submachine guns – have been either lost by or stolen from, federal agents in recent years. (Here is a look at the 22 firearms used by federal agents.)

24/7 Wall St. identified the most common ways federal agents lose their firearms by using data from OIG audits of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshal Service. While some instances involve some degree of carelessness, others, such as burglary and theft, are harder to avoid. 

Over a dozen firearms were lost by federal agents in the years covered by OIG audits for each agency. Many of them were left in public places, including restrooms, restaurants, subways, and hotels. Others were simply misplaced. But most often, a missing firearm is often the result of theft, particularly from a car or truck. The OIG audit reports reveal that 40 firearms were stolen from government vehicles, another nine were taken from personal vehicles, and five were left in vehicles that themselves were stolen. (Here is a look at the states where the most guns are stolen.)

Only about half of government-issued firearms that have gone missing in recent years have been recovered. Some recovered firearms were determined to have been used in a crime, and many of those that remain missing may yet be. 

Here are the ways federal agents lost their firearms.

See below for our detailed methodology.

23. Firearm thrown out

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: None
• Agency involved: ATF
• Disciplinary action severity: None (agent retired)

22. Firearm stolen from hotel room

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: FBI
• Disciplinary action severity: Dismissal

21. Firearm stolen during shipping

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: None
• Agency involved: ATF
• Disciplinary action severity: None

20. Firearm stolen by family member

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: FBI
• Disciplinary action severity: 3-day suspension

19. Firearm stolen at airport

• Total firearms involved: 1 unknown
• Firearms recovered: 1 unknown (100% of total)
• Agency involved: FBI
• Disciplinary action severity: 5-day suspension

18. Firearm lost while riding motorcycle

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: DEA
• Disciplinary action severity: 5-day suspension

17. Firearm lost while hunting

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: DEA
• Disciplinary action severity: 3-day suspension

16. Firearm lost in a prison facility

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: FBI
• Disciplinary action severity: 7-day suspension

15. Firearm left on public transportation

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: ATF
• Disciplinary action severity: 10-day suspension

14. Firearm left in a public area

• Total firearms involved: 1 handgun
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (100% of total)
• Agency involved: FBI
• Disciplinary action severity: 3-day suspension

13. Firearm lost in the mail

• Total firearms involved: 2 rifles
• Firearms recovered: 2 rifles (100% of total)
• Agency involved: ATF
• Range of disciplinary action severity: None

12. Firearm lost during training exercise

• Total firearms involved: 2 handguns
• Firearms recovered: None
• Agencies involved: DEA, FBI
• Range of disciplinary action severity: None – 3-day suspension

11. Firearm left in a hotel

• Total firearms involved: 2 handguns, 1 unknown
• Firearms recovered: 2 handguns, 1 unknown (100% of total)
• Agencies involved: DEA, FBI
• Range of disciplinary action severity: 3-day – 5-day suspension

10. Firearm lost after being left on a vehicle

• Total firearms involved: 3 handguns, 1 shotgun
• Firearms recovered: 3 handguns, 1 shotgun (100% of total)
• Agencies involved: ATF, DEA, FBI
• Range of disciplinary action severity: 3-day – 5-day suspension

9. Firearm left in a restaurant

• Total firearms involved: 4 handguns
• Firearms recovered: 4 handguns (100% of total)
• Agencies involved: ATF, DEA, FBI
• Range of disciplinary action severity: Letter of reprimand – 8-day suspension

8. Firearm left in a public restroom

• Total firearms involved: 2 handguns, 2 unknown
• Firearms recovered: 2 handguns, 2 unknown (100% of total)
• Agencies involved: FBI, US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: 1-day – 4-day suspension

7. Firearm left inside a vehicle that was stolen

• Total firearms involved: 3 handguns, 1 shotgun, 1 rifle
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun, 1 shotgun (40.0% of total)
• Agency involved: US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: Pending – none

6. Firearm lost after being left in a vehicle

• Total firearms involved: 6 handguns
• Firearms recovered: 4 handguns (66.7% of total)
• Agencies involved: DEA, US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: None – 5-day suspension

5. Firearm stolen or lost due to inadequate safeguarding

• Total firearms involved: 5 handguns, 2 submachine guns
• Firearms recovered: 2 handguns (28.6% of total)
• Agency involved: FBI
• Range of disciplinary action severity: 3-day – 5-day suspension

4. Firearm stolen from residence

• Total firearms involved: 6 handguns, 1 shotgun
• Firearms recovered: 2 handguns (28.6% of total)
• Agencies involved: ATF, DEA, FBI, US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: None – 45-day suspension

3. Firearm stolen from personal vehicle

• Total firearms involved: 8 handguns, 1 carbine
• Firearms recovered: 1 handgun (11.1% of total)
• Agencies involved: ATF, DEA, FBI, US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: 3-day – 60-day suspension

2. Firearm misplaced/went missing

• Total firearms involved: 16 handguns, 1 rifle
• Firearms recovered: 9 handguns, 1 rifle (58.8% of total)
• Agencies involved: ATF, DEA, FBI, US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: None – 25-day suspension

1. Firearm stolen from government vehicle

• Total firearms involved: 22 handguns, 7 carbines, 5 shotguns, 3 submachine guns, 3 rifles
• Firearms recovered: 5 handguns, 3 carbines, 3 shotguns, 2 submachine guns, 2 rifles (37.5% of total)
• Agencies involved: ATF, DEA, FBI, US Marshals
• Range of disciplinary action severity: None – 35-day suspension

 

Methodology

24/7 Wall St. reviewed audit data from the Office of the Inspector General, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice to identify the most common ways federal law enforcement agents lose their firearms. The four federal agencies audited by the OIG are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshal Service. We ranked each of the circumstances by the number of firearms federal agents reported either lost or stolen over the periods covered in each audit. 

The ATF audit covers all firearms lost or stolen over the four years from fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2017, the DEA audit spans five years from fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2018, the FBI audit period is from September 2015 through July 2019, and the U.S. Marshal Service audit covers fiscal 2015 through April 2018. 

All data in this story, including the number and types of firearms stolen or lost, the number and types of firearms recovered, and disciplinary action taken are from the OIG reports. These figures do not include the three handguns and one shotgun that were lost after being left on top of a trailer or a vehicle’s bumper, roof, or trunk. 

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