Feds announce crackdown on illegal machinegun conversion devices

The U.S. Attorneys Officer for the Easter District of Texas on Monday announced a statewide crackdown on illegal machinegun conversion devices. It’s being called “Operation Texas Kill Switch”, and the feds say the devices, commonly known as “switches”, transform commercially available firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing faster than military-grade M-4 carbine rifles. U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs said of the devices, “Machinegun conversion devices are incredibly dangerous and pose an unacceptable risk to the public and law enforcement. They’re also illegal and simply possessing a machinegun conversion device—let alone firing one—comes along with a hefty prison sentence.” Federal prosecutors pointed out that the “switch” devices have been used in numerous fatal shootings, including at least one juvenile mass shooting and multiple police killings. According to the ATF, from 2017 to 2023, ATF agents in Texas alone seized 991 of the devices, with the most – 490 – being seized in 2023.