2 North Texas men arrested in Glock switch crackdown
DALLAS - A Rockwall man is in federal custody after investigators say he ordered Glock switches from China.
The same crackdown also led to a Dallas man who agents say is a gang member who committed murder with a Glock switch modification. Those illegal devices turn pistols into machine guns.
These are the first arrests the U.S. attorney announced since Operation Kill Switch launched.
In the Rockwall case, the suspect bought packages from China that appeared to just be filled with household items.
A federal crackdown on illegal gun parts led to more arrests in separate cases.
20-year-old Joshua Javier Menjivar of Rockwall was arrested last Thursday.
Investigators say he bought packages from China containing "machine gun conversion devices," known as Glock switches.
The illegal modifications turn a handgun into an automatic weapon, firing 30 rounds in less than three seconds.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. attorney's office and the ATF announced Operation Kill Switch.
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'Operation Texas Kill Switch': Statewide effort to stop spread of machine gun conversion devices
A piece of plastic the size of a LEGO can turn a legal pistol into a machine gun. Federal officials say the so-called "switches" are becoming more common on the streets of Texas.
"The Dallas area is one of the hotspots throughout the country for these devices," said Jeffrey Boshek, ATF special agent in charge. "And it's been that way for quite some time. We're trying to stay ahead of the wave of these things."
Menjivar got on investigators' radar back in May when Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China at its Cleveland area port.
The package manifest said it contained "hardware accessories-four." Inside were small plastic items no bigger than a Lego.
Investigators said 35 packages were sent to the suspect's Rockwall home, labeled as household tools, protective gloves, clothing and hats.
In June, investigators searched Menjivar's garbage can. According to the complaint, agents found a gold coin with a plastic baggie taped to the back.
Investigators say the coin was used to conceal the contents from X-ray scans. They also found a switch hidden in a glove.
Court documents say Chinese firearm parts vendors are "known to conceal" Glock switches in "legitimate products."
"They're being possessed by people that have no idea how to control them and just the danger of them in the hands of novices with machine guns," Boshek said.
The second case is the arrest of 19-year-old Jamarion White. He is charged with possession of a machine gun and is facing a murder charge for the death of an 18-year-old.
The shooting happened June 9 on North Masters Drive.
Investigators said White's social media showed a post of him holding one of the guns with a Glock switch on it. There was also a music video explaining how switches work.
On June 12, days after the murder, the federal complaint says officers conducted a traffic stop on White and spotted a pistol under his leg with a switch attached. His arrest led police to multiple loaded Glocks with switches on them, according to the complaint.
"Fentanyl is the killer drug right now for the DEA and Glocks, which is what's killing people on our streets," Boshek said. "I fear that the continued proliferation of these things is going to lead to a crisis, much like the DEA and local law enforcement is facing with fentanyl."
Last year, a Dallas police officer was shot in the leg by a suspect using a Glock switch.
In 2022, a shooting using a Glock switch resulted in two killed and three injured.