The federal firearms chief in Detroit says his agents are cranking up federal gun prosecutions by digging through social media and zeroing in on tiny conversion parts that can turn pistols into machine guns, known as “switches.” Special Agent in Charge James Deir said the Detroit Field Division has moved away from simply adding more “boots on the ground” and is instead focused on sharply increasing the number of federal cases it helps bring. “You pull the trigger, accountability is coming your way,” he told reporters.
Deir described an intelligence-driven strategy that reaches beyond Detroit into Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Jackson, and said that approach has produced what he called an exponential rise in federal case filings. In a wide-ranging interview with a local outlet, he said the ATF reviewed a large volume of cases last year for possible federal prosecution and is embedded with local detectives on homicide and domestic-violence investigations. According to Metro Detroit News, the Field Division’s model pairs federal tools with local partnerships.
Social posts as evidence
Investigators are increasingly treating selfies, videos, and threatening posts as workable leads instead of empty bravado. If a gun is visible, if a serial number flashes on screen, or if a geotag gives away a location, agents say those details can help trace where a weapon was bought and how it moved. ATF officials say some social platforms now openly glorify conversion devices and gun use, and agents monitor those posts for active threats and investigative clues.
Local coverage has documented the surge in online flexing and how officials say it is feeding federal gun probes, according to FOX 2 Detroit.
Switches: tiny parts, outsized danger
High on the ATF’s list are the small conversion devices known as switches, which can make a semi-automatic pistol fire continuously. Federal agents and prosecutors say those parts have become far more common and are showing up in more cases. Michigan prosecutions have included seizures and indictments linked to the distribution and importation of switches, underscoring how quickly something that fits in a pocket can multiply the damage from a single handgun…