- Federal and local authorities in Chicago have arrested 41 individuals in a two-month joint operation targeting illegal firearm activity.
- 171 firearms and 64 machinegun conversion devices were recovered, many linked to violent crimes across the U.S. since 2017.
- The operation was led by the ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) with support from multiple law enforcement partners.
What We Know
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Chicago Police Department jointly announced the outcome of a two-month enforcement initiative that focused on illegal possession, use, and trafficking of firearms and machinegun conversion devices in the Chicagoland area.
According to the ATF press release, 41 suspects were arrested, and authorities recovered approximately 171 firearms and 64 illegal machinegun conversion devices. Many of these weapons were tied to homicides and aggravated assaults across the country, based on data from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
Recovered firearms displayed by ATF during enforcement initiative in Chicago. (Photo: ATF)
High-profile arrests included:
- Alec Chisolm-Blockton, on parole for a deadly shooting involving a 14-year-old.
- Eddie Arguelles, accused of firing a converted weapon in a public park.
- Torrence Lindsay-Bynum, previously convicted for threatening a mass shooting, found with a modified firearm.
From 2019 to 2023, the number of machinegun conversion devices traced by the ATF increased by over 784%—from 658 to 5,816 nationwide. In 2024 alone, Chicago police recovered 604 such devices, a dramatic rise from 81 in 2020.
Firearms and illegal conversion devices recovered during the operation. (Photo: ATF)
What They’re Saying
Christopher Amon, ATF Special Agent in Charge, said:
Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, stated:
Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, said the operation “directly addresses the proliferation of machine gun devices inflicting trauma in our communities.”
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke called the devices a “threat to our progress,” adding: “A firearm equipped with one of these devices and an extended magazine can fire off 30 rounds in less than two seconds, terrorizing our neighborhoods.”
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul emphasized the need for collaboration: “State-federal partnerships, such as with the ATF, are essential to preventing illegal firearms from entering communities and addressing gun violence.”
The federal cases are being coordinated by Chief Scott Edenfield and Deputy Chief Jared Jodrey. State cases are being led by Cook County’s Maureen McCurry and Assistant Attorney General Greg Gansmann. The FBI, DEA, Illinois State Police, and Cook County Sheriff’s Police provided additional support.
— Reported by Virginia Times, based on information from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
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