HOUSTON — U.S. Attorneys in Texas are taking aim at machine gun conversion devices, often referred to as “switches.”
U.S. Attorneys Alamdar S. Hamdani, Leigha Simonton, Damien Diggs and Jaime Esparza along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced “Operation Texas Kill Switch” on Monday morning.
Switches can transform commercially available firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing faster than military-grade M4s, federal agents said.
“Today is an important step to put on notice those who traffic in switches and who use switches,” said Hamdani. “We will hold you to account. My office, combining forces with the ATF, and along with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern, Western and Northern Districts, will do everything in our power to continue to make our communities safer by stemming the flow of switches.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said switches pose a serious threat to communities across the state and law enforcement.
“Simply possessing one of these devices is a federal crime and we will work endlessly in conjunction with our U.S. Attorney’s Office in addition to our local, state and federal partners to identify and prosecute these criminals,” Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said.
Federal agents said that switches are about an inch long and usually made of metal or plastic. They can be printed on commercially available 3D printers. They generally slot into the butt of a gun and allow the shooter to fire “full auto,” unloading dozens of rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said except in very limited circumstances, possession of a switch is illegal, as the National Firearms Act classifies the switch itself as a machine gun.
The ATF said, that between 2017 and 2023, Texas-based agents seized 991 switches, more than half of them last year.
They are often sold over social media, and marketed to adults and juveniles alike.
As part of the new initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said they are partnering with Crime Stoppers programs statewide to combat the proliferation of these illegal devices.
From now until Aug. 31, local Crime Stopper programs will offer cash rewards for information leading to the apprehension or prosecution of those who possess switches or 3D printers being used to manufacture them.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to their local Crime Stoppers program. Tipsters may also use **TIPS to be connected to a Crime Stoppers program in their area. Tips can be submitted 24 hours a day, and anonymity is guaranteed by law. Information may also be submitted directly to ATF at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips.