Bureau of Prohibition

Bureau of Prohibition

The Bureau of Prohibition (or Prohibition Unit) was a federal law enforcement agency in the United States formed in 1920, during the Prohibition era, to enforce the Volstead Act. The Volstead Act was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established Prohibition in the United States. The Bureau was a unit of the Department of the Treasury and was later incorporated into the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

History

The Bureau of Prohibition was created by an act of Congress on October 28, 1919, as a unit of the Department of the Treasury. Its primary responsibility was to eliminate the illegal sale and distribution of alcohol during the Prohibition era. The Bureau was given the power to investigate violations of the Volstead Act and to make arrests for these violations.

In 1930, the Bureau was transferred to the Department of Justice and incorporated into the FBI. The Bureau was disbanded in 1933 with the repeal of Prohibition by the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Operations

The Bureau of Prohibition was responsible for enforcing the Volstead Act, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. The Bureau's agents, known as "Prohibition agents" or "revenuers", were tasked with investigating violations of the Act and making arrests for these violations.

Despite the Bureau's efforts, the Prohibition era was marked by widespread illegal activity, including the operation of speakeasies and the production and distribution of moonshine. The Bureau's inability to effectively enforce the Volstead Act was one of the factors that led to the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.

Legacy

The Bureau of Prohibition is often associated with the rise of organized crime in the United States, as criminal organizations such as the Chicago Outfit and the American Mafia profited greatly from the illegal alcohol trade during the Prohibition era. The Bureau's efforts to combat these organizations laid the groundwork for future federal law enforcement efforts against organized crime.