In a coordinated effort to crack down on illegal machinegun conversion devices also known as “switches,” U.S. Attorneys for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas announced, “Operation Texas Kill Switch.”
Switches are devices that can transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, capable of firing rounds just as fast as military-grade weapons.
The announcement was made during simultaneous press conferences throughout the state with U.S. Attorneys Leigha Simonton, Alamdar Hamdani, Damien Diggs, and Jaime Esparza.
They were joined by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives Special Agents in Charge Jeffrey Boshek and Michael Weddel.
“We’re here to talk about a roughly one-inch piece of plastic. It looks innocuous enough, a little like a lego or a k’nex block. But this one-inch piece of plastic is killing people,” Simonton said at Monday’s press conference.
“Machinegun conversion devices can turn Second Amendment-protected firearms into illegal weapons of war, and petty criminals into brutal killers. We cannot have our streets turned into war zones. We cannot – and we will not – allow switches to proliferate in north Texas.”
The officials condemned the use of switches, highlighting their role in numerous fatal shootings, including a juvenile mass shooting and multiple police killings.
Switches, which are about an inch long and can be made from metal or plastic, are designed to fit into the butt of a gun, allowing it to fire continuously with a single trigger pull.
“I have been in this business for a long time, and nothing scares me more than the rapid flood of machine gun conversion devices on the streets of Texas and beyond. Rest assured that ATF and its partners are doing everything we can to stop the flow of these things and to prevent the carnage they can create,” said ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
“I applaud our U.S. Attorney partners for their willingness to aggressively prosecute these criminals and gangsters.”
Switches can be easily manufactured using commercially available 3D printers, making them accessible to a wide audience.
The possession of switches is illegal under the National Firearms Act, which classifies them as machine guns.
The rise of switches has surged in recent years.
Between 2017 and 2023, Texas-based ATF agents seized 991 switches, with half of those being recovered in the past year alone.
The devices are often sold on social media, targeting both adults and juveniles.
Operation Texas Kill Switch aims to combat this trend by partnering with Crime Stoppers programs across the state.
From now until August 31, local Crime Stoppers programs will offer cash rewards for information leading to the apprehension or prosecution of individuals possessing switches or 3D printers used to manufacture them.
Tipsters can submit information anonymously, 24 hours a day, through their local Crime Stoppers program or directly to the ATF’s website.
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