President Donald Trump‘s FBI Director Kash Patel was removed from his role as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll on Wednesday. According to Reuters, a Justice Department official said Patel’s removal was not a reflection on his performance in the job.
On the same day as the ATF announcement, and with the series of photographs below with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi at Port Everglades, Florida, Patel reported on social media: “MAJOR blow to drug cartels! Over half a BILLION dollars in drugs intercepted and offloaded. This operation was one of the most successful counter-narcotics efforts in U.S. history.”
MAJOR blow to drug cartels! Over half a BILLION dollars in drugs intercepted and offloaded.
This operation was one of the most successful counter-narcotics efforts in U.S. history. pic.twitter.com/8kTM2FgeUQ
— Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) April 10, 2025
Patel’s post triggered lots of questions from many MAGA supporters eager for more details about the drug bust including “what is it, coke?” to more impatient questions including: “Are you gonna tell us which cartels and what operations were impacted by this or what?” and “How will it be destroyed? Or will it be kept until it mysteriously disappears?”
Note: Patel revealed in another post that it was “48,400 pounds of illegal drugs – valued at more than $509 million.” (The Miami Herald reported that the contraband was cocaine, not the highly targeted fentanyl said to be America’s main cartel smuggling threat.)
Today we’re announcing yet another major narcotics seizure, this time in Port Everglades, Florida.
48,400 pounds of illicit narcotics worth over $509 million — now OFF American streets, thanks to the leadership of @AGPamBondi and our PANEX Task Force.
This is what happens when… pic.twitter.com/EvD3I6Qme5
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 9, 2025
MAGA supporter and social media influencer Wendy Patterson replied to Patel with a complaint: “Stop stealing the Coast Guards bust. You stole their moment.”
This isn’t the first time Patterson has voiced her disapproval of Patel and Bondi. She’s having an “I told you so” moment on X after DOJ announced today that the agency is dropping charges against and deporting Henrry Villatoro Santos, a 24-year-old Salvadoran national who the DOJ said was “one of the top leaders of MS-13” when they arrested him in March.
Breaking News: Remember when I told you that @FBIDirectorKash and @AGPamBondi used that Virginia Raid as a Photo Op to make Pam Bondi accepted by the public?
That there were no federal charges against someone they “claimed” to be the leader of the MS-13 Gang? The worst of the…
— Wendy Patterson (@wendyp4545) April 10, 2025
Patterson accused Patel of using photos of Santos’s arrest “to make Bondi liked by the public.”
Patterson today wrote: “Shame on @FBIDirectorKash for participating and lying to the American people to save Pam Bondi’s reputation. Kash, you just destroyed your reputation and that of the FBI that you promised to reform.”
That time you delivered the sword of justice for the American people- thank you for your incredible leadership @AGPamBondi and @JohnRatcliffe . So proud of the men and women of the FBI, DOJ, and CIA.
Justice for Abby Gate- terrorist Jafar officially in US custody pic.twitter.com/EN1wjwjzCw
— Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) March 5, 2025