[DBrow]

No Federal agent was armed until 1934, and that was the FBI. Now Fish and Wildlife has a SWAT team.

We know from the story of Peggy Ann Bargon that the Department of the Interior has a SWAT team used to raid people’s property.

If you added up all the armed agencies (including Department of Education) how large is the Federal standing army?

[Hugin]

I don't begrudge Fish and Wildlife a SWAT team, considering that many areas of National Forest have been taken over by Mexican drug cartels for meth labs and marijuana grows. They bring in poor Mexicans to camp out there, and give them guns. As a result they kill any and all wildlife for food. It's misuse of the SWAT teams that's the problem, not their existence.

[hedgetrimmer]

Your point is correct.

These ‘agents’ confuse regulatory agencies with law enforcement. It is an enabler of political corruption. These agents are a ‘praetorian guard’ which can be used as political tools, and they are.

[PapaBear3625]

If you added up all the armed agencies (including Department of Education) how large is the Federal standing army?

This was the reason why the Founders were so against the idea of standing armies. The British Army in colonial times acted in the role of enforcer of the King's will upon the people, when they weren't fighting wars.