The IRS has spent $10 million on weaponry, ammo, and other tactical equipment since 2020 as part of a militarization drive, according to a report from the watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com that was published in April.
Inflation-adjusted purchases of guns, ammunition, and equipment with military-style features by the IRS and 102 other non-Department of Defense organizations totaled $3.7 billion since 2006. According to OpenTheBooks.com, 76 of the 102 regulatory bodies are rank-and-file organizations. Examples of such organizations include the Environmental Protection Agency, Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, and Health and Human Services.
The watchdog group’s research stated “that there are currently (200,000) more federal agents with the ability to make arrests and carry weapons than there are U.S. Marines (186,000).”
Since 2006, the IRS has spent $35.2 million on firearms, ammo, and other tactical equipment for its special agents. The agency increased its firearm acquisitions in 2020 and 2021, having spent $10 million since the COVID lockdowns began.
The IRS has invested $2.3 million on duty ammunition since 2020, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, $474,000 on Smith and Wesson rifles, $467,000 on tactical lighting, $463,000 on Baretta shotguns, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, $267,000 on ballistic helmets, and $243,000 on protective body armor vests, according to a breakdown of the agency’s recent purchases by OpenTheBooks.com.
In addition, the agency spent $1.3 million on unspecified items labeled merely “various additional gear for the criminal investigation officials.”
Before embarking on the 2020 purchasing spree that greatly expanded its armament, the IRS already possessed 4,500 weapons, including rifles, shotguns, and submachine guns, as well as 5 million rounds of ammunition in its gun vault.
The IRS received over $80 billion in additional funds as a result of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed into law in August. The IRS intends to utilize this money to hire over 86,000 more personnel over the course of the next ten years.
In the past, the IRS has advertised positions for “Criminal Investigation Special Agents” who must “carry a firearm” and be prepared to use “deadly force, if needed.”
The IRS has 2,100 special agents, making it the top 50 largest police units in the country.
“Special agents have been utilizing weapons all throughout the course of their careers since they consistently find themselves investigating the world’s most dangerous of criminals connected to organized crime, drugs, and gangs,” an IRS spokeswoman told OpenTheBooks.com. “Typically, these types of cases are worked in collaboration with other federal and state law enforcement agencies.” Firearms and gear are also utilized in training. Special agents must train and qualify for their firearms and attend quarterly trainings to keep up proficiency.”
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