A military-style rocket launcher left on the curb for trash pickup Thursday in the Kingwood area was confiscated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

“We have it in our custody,” said Gary Orchowski, acting special agent in charge at the ATF’s Houston office. “We’re awaiting word from the U.S. military on whether they want it back or we are going to destroy it.”

The launcher, about 3 feet long, was dirty and full of cobwebs and spider eggs, Orchowski said. Leaving it out for trash pickup was not illegal, he said.

“The preliminary examination of it reveals that the rocket launcher was inert and no explosive material has been identified, so it was not classified as a destructive device,” Orchowski said. “There was no violation of the Gun Control Act, the National Firearms Act or any federal explosive laws.”

Several ATF agents went to the scene in the 900 block of Marina Drive after a resident called the federal agency, Orchowski said.

“We notified the Houston Police Department bomb squad and the FBI,” he said.

The bomb squad responded, but Orchowski said, to his knowledge, the FBI did not.

Orchowski said the launcher, which had a military serial number, has been “demilled,” meaning it’s no longer a military item. He said he couldn’t release photos of the device without permission from the military.

According to The Humble Observer, a neighbor said a trash collection crew would not pick up the launcher.