Operation Texas Kill Switch Aims to Disarm Deadly ‘Switches’

HOUSTON – In a statewide crackdown, U.S. Attorneys for Texas and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are joining forces to target illegal machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches.’

At simultaneous press conferences throughout the state, U.S. Attorneys Alamdar S. Hamdani, Leigha Simonton, Damien Diggs, and Jaime Esparza, along with ATF Special Agents in Charge Michael Weddel and Jeffrey Boshek, lambasted switches, which transform commercially available firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing faster than military-grade M4s.

‘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.’

Weddel added, ‘Today’s important initiative is aimed at raising awareness of illegal machine gun conversation devices also known as ‘switches,’. Todays’ threat comes from MCDs that easily convert a firearm into a machinegun. These ‘switches’ as they are often called on the streets, not only pose a serious threat to those living in our communities but a unique and deadly threat to law enforcement.’

About an inch long, switches may be made of metal or plastic and 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.

To date, switches have been used in numerous fatal shootings, including at least one juvenile mass shooting and multiple police killings. Except in very limited circumstances, possession of a switch is illegal, as the National Firearms Act classifies the switch itself as a machinegun.

Between 2017 and 2023, Texas-based ATF agents seized 991 switches; 490 of those – 50 percent – were seized just last year. They are often sold over social media, marketed to adults and juveniles alike.

As part of Operation Texas Kill Switch, the U.S. Attorneys are partnering with Crime Stopper programs statewide to combat the proliferation of these illegal devices. From now until August 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.

Tipsters may 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.

The U.S. Attorneys also urged local law enforcement to partner with federal authorities on switch cases, which carry maximum sentences of up to 10 years in the federal system. They laid out their case in a joint op-ed published Monday in the Austin American Statesman, which can be read here.