Gregory Kielma • June 15, 2025
ATF National Response Team deploys to Los Angeles. Investigators seek the public’s help in arson cases
ATF NEWS: California Riots
Contact: PIO Ashlee Sherrill
Friday, June 13, 2025
ATF National Response Team deploys to Los Angeles. Investigators seek the public’s help in arson cases
LOS ANGELES – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has deployed its National Response Team (NRT) to Los Angeles to investigate a series of fires set during recent civil unrest. ATF is working closely with the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol.
Several law enforcement and self-driving vehicles were set on fire, along with the LAPD Headquarters Facility, since the unrest began. The NRT's mission is to determine the origin and cause of these fires and identify those responsible.
“The cause of these fires is quite obvious,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cooper of the Los Angeles Field Division. “The task at hand now is to determine who is responsible. ATF’s National Response Team is going to be a tremendous asset, and we look forward to the results of their efforts to hold the responsible parties accountable.”
Investigators are asking anyone who was near the affected areas and may have captured photos, videos, or other useful information is asked to contact ATF. Call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via www.ReportIt.com or the Report It mobile app, available on Google Play or Apple App Store. When using Report It, select “ATF – Los Angeles Field Division” as the reporting agency.
“We’re grateful to community members willing to step forward,” Cooper continued. “If you have information about who was involved, or footage of the events, we encourage you to share it. The people of Los Angeles don’t deserve the destruction of their communities, and we’re here to help hold people accountable.”
Each team includes veteran ATF Special Agents with expertise in post-blast and fire origin-and-cause determinations, along with forensic chemists, explosives enforcement officers, fire protection engineers, accelerant detection canines, explosives detection canines, and specialists in intelligence, computer forensics, and audit support. Together, they work with local partners to reconstruct scenes, identify fire origins, conduct interviews, and sift debris for evidence.
Since its founding in 1978, the NRT has deployed to 932 major fire and explosion incidents, including 12 activations this fiscal year alone. The team can typically deploy within 24 hours and brings cutting-edge tools such as unmanned aerial systems, 3D scanning, forensic mapping, and portable labs to assist investigations.
This marks the NRT’s most recent deployment to Los Angeles since the January 2025 investigation into the Pacific Palisades fires. That case remains under investigation.
Notable past NRT deployments include:
• Maui Wildfire Disaster – One of the deadliest U.S. fires in over a century, requiring intricate investigation amid severe wind and rapid spread.
• Conception Dive Boat Fire – A deadly fire near Santa Barbara where NRT helped uncover critical evidence, leading to reforms in marine safety.
• 2020 Midwest Civil Unrest – More than 200 arson scenes processed, resulting in evidence used to make arrests and secure prosecutions.
ATF is the federal agency responsible for investigating arson and fire-related crimes. For more information, visit www.atf.gov and follow @ATFHQ and @LosAngelesATF on X for updates.
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Being Prepared for the 2026 Hurricane Season By Gregory Kielma, Tactical K Training & Firearms The 2026 Hurricane Season is shaping up to be another year where preparation isn’t optional it’s essential. Florida has seen record heat, rising insurance pressures, rapid population growth, and increasingly unpredictable storm behavior. None of that is meant to create fear. It’s meant to reinforce a simple truth: preparedness gives you control, confidence, and options when the weather turns. Whether you’re protecting a home, a business, or a family, the goal is the same build layers of readiness before the first storm forms. Start With Awareness and a Plan Storms don’t give you time to “figure it out later.” Your plan should be written, practiced, and known by everyone in the household or workplace. Key elements of a solid plan: Where will you go if evacuation becomes necessary Multiple routes out of your area A communication plan if cell networks fail A designated out‑of‑state contact A plan for pets, elderly family members, and anyone with medical needs For businesses, include: Who secures the building Who handles digital backups Who communicates closures and reopening A plan removes panic. It replaces it with action. Strengthen Your Home or Business Before the First Storm Florida structures take a beating every year. Small improvements now prevent major losses later. Exterior protection: Inspect your roof for loose shingles or soft spots Clear gutters and drainage paths Trim trees and remove dead limbs Install or test shutters Reinforce garage doors—one of the most common failure points Interior protection: Surge protection for critical electronics Elevate valuables and important documents Know how to shut off water, power, and gas If you own a business, walk your property as if you were a storm: What can break? What can blow away? What can flood? Fix those points now. Build a Realistic, Usable Supply Kit For Your Home or Business A hurricane kit isn’t about stockpiling, it’s about independence. After a major storm, help may take hours or days to reach your area. For homes and families: Water: 1 gallon per person per day (minimum 3–7 days) Non‑perishable food Medications and medical supplies Flashlights, headlamps, and batteries Battery bank for phones First aid kit Copies of important documents Cash in small bills Tools, gloves, tarps, duct tape For businesses: Backup power for essential systems Printed employee contact lists Hard copies of insurance documents A plan for securing inventory and equipment Preparedness isn’t about fear it’s about not being dependent on luck. Protect Your Digital Life In 2026, digital readiness is just as important as physical readiness. Back up important files to the cloud and an external drive Photograph your home, business, and valuables for insurance Store digital copies of IDs, insurance policies, and receipts Keep chargers, power banks, and a small solar panel if possible When the power goes out, your digital preparation keeps you moving. Understand Post‑Storm Safety Most injuries happen after the storm, not during it. Be cautious with: Downed power lines Flooded roads Carbon monoxide from generators Unstable structures Contaminated water If you evacuated, don’t rush home. Wait for official clearance. Your safety comes first. Mindset: Prepared, Not Paranoid Preparedness is a discipline, not a reaction. It’s the same mindset we teach in every Tactical K class awareness, planning, and responsible action. A hurricane is a natural event. Your response is a choice. When you prepare early, you protect: Your family Your property Your business Your peace of mind And you set an example for your community. Kielma’s Parting Shot The 2026 Hurricane Season will bring challenges, just like every season. But Floridians are resilient, and preparation is part of our way of life. Start now. Strengthen your home, your business, and your plan. Build your layers of safety before the first storm forms. If you need help building a plan, creating a checklist, or preparing your family or business, Tactical K Training is here to support you with practical, real‑world guidance.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Trafficking Nine Firearms, Including to Buyer Who Said He Was ‘At War’ Thursday, April 30, 2026 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia WASHINGTON - Brandon Smith, 34, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in prison for conspiring to traffic at least nine firearms to a prohibited buyer over the course of six months, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Brandon Smith was already on supervised probation for a violent felony when he chose to traffic firearms, and he continued even after being told the buyer intended to use them for violence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Over the course of six months, he arranged the sale of at least nine guns—including one with an obliterated serial number—to a prohibited individual. This was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a sustained and deliberate effort to arm someone who could not legally possess firearms. My office remains committed to holding accountable those who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal guns.” On Jan. 9, 2026, Smith pleaded guilty before Judge Howell to conspiracy to commit trafficking in firearms. In addition to the 87-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 108-month prison term. According to court papers, beginning in November 2023, ATF opened an investigation after a confidential source reported that Smith, then on supervised probation for a violent felony, was actively advertising firearms for sale by texting photographs of guns to prospective buyers, including individuals with prior felony convictions. During the next six months, Smith sold or arranged the sale of nine firearms to a buyer on six separate occasions. During the transactions, Smith sold his own personal carry firearm on multiple occasions when a supplier failed to deliver, then purchased a replacement for himself afterward. In early January 2024, as Smith and the buyer discussed an upcoming transaction, the buyer told Smith he needed the firearms because he was “at war” after his cousin had been killed. Smith proceeded with the sale. The buyer had also told Smith he was serving a criminal justice sentence at the time of the transactions. Smith acknowledged that he, too, was “on papers.” Smith arranged a total of six transactions from Nov. 30, 2023, through May 30, 2024, resulting in the sale of nine firearms. At least one of the firearms had its serial number obliterated. On Oct. 26, 2024, MPD officers conducted a traffic stop on the 1600 block of 16th Street SE and found Smith in the front passenger seat of a parked vehicle. Officers observed open containers of alcohol and discovered a satchel at his feet. Inside the satchel, in plain view, was a loaded Glock Model 19X 9mm handgun with a round in the chamber and 16 additional rounds in the magazine. The bag also contained a bank card and government-issued identification in Smith’s name. Smith has prior convictions for Simple Assault (2011), Attempted Robbery (2013), and Robbery and Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence (2016), for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was serving a term of supervised probation from the 2016 conviction at the time of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan. Convicted Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Trafficking
