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Texas law enforcement targets deadly 'switch' devices in statewide crackdown

By Paola Lopez
Published  June 10, 2024 5:15pm CDT
Texas
FOX 26 Houston

Texas - A new partnership to raise awareness of illegal machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) is led by a number of US attorneys from multiple Texas districts along with
Crime Stoppers.

"Operation Texas Kill Switch" is a statewide initiative targeting MCDs which are also known as "switches".
FOX 26 Houston is now on the FOX LOCAL app available through Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Roku and Google Android TV!
The "switches" slot into the butt of a gun and convert legal firearms into fully-automatic weapons allowing a shooter to fire dozens of rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
It is a federal crime to own a "switch" device.

How illegal gun modification played factor in Houston police shootout

The gun used in Thursday’s shootout with police appears to have been illegally modified to operate as an automatic weapon: a machine gun. The Houston office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) demonstrates how machine guns work and are highly illegal.


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As part of the partnership, local Crime Stopper programs will offer cash rewards for information that leads to the prosecution of those who possess switches or 3D printers that are used to manufacture them. 

SUGGESTED: Weapon used in Houston police shootout was illegally-modified machine gun

The program will run from now until Aug. 31. To date, "switches" have been used in numerous fatal shootings including at least one juvenile mass shooting and multiple police killings. In a press conference, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said there is a threat today due to the ease of conversion of a firearm into a machine gun. 

The threat also poses a serious threat to communities and law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said the initiative is aimed to identify and prosecute those criminals who posses the devices.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.