Modified Glock Seized In Marin Drug Bust

MARIN COUNTY, CA – An illegally modified Glock handgun was seized during the arrest of a suspected Marin drug dealer, authorities said.

River Sky Matta was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking charges, possession of an illegal assault weapon, and manufacturing of an illegal assault weapon, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said.

The weapon modification device, known as an auto sear, is part of a growing trend that has law enforcement agencies nationwide alarmed, according to a Vice News report conducted in collaboration with The Trace, an outlet that promotes gun violence awareness.

Auto sears sold online for less than $20 or created on 3-D printers are used to create the "world's smallest machine gun."

The device was used by the far-right Boogaloo Bois during a 2020 ambush on a federal courthouse that killed a protective security officer.

Approximately 1,500 weapons modified were seized in 2021, a five-fold increase over the previous year according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Vice News reports.

“Auto sears are everywhere on the street right now,” 21-year ATF veteran Jeffrey Boshek told the outlet.

“They’re one of the scariest things we’ve dealt with since I became an agent.”

In the Marin case, the Sheriff Office’s Specialized Investigative Unit conducted the probe that led to Matt’s arrest.

Matta sold approximately two ounces of cocaine to a undercover detective during the course of the probe, which began in February, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies obtained a search warrant and found a firearm, cash and drugs along with other items associated with narcotics trafficking, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The loaded, modified Glock handgun, along with cash, a scale, cocaine and narcotics packaging materials, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies found approximately 45 grams of suspected cocaine and a “notable quantity” of cash in his vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said.