U.S. Gun Manufacturers Seek Supreme Court Review of Mexico’s $10 Billion Lawsuit

American gun manufacturers request the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in Mexico’s lawsuit claiming they facilitated illegal arms trafficking, fueling violence and crime.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

On Thursday, prominent U.S. gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson Brands and Sturm, Ruger & Co, have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a challenge to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit. Mexico seeks to hold these companies accountable for allegedly facilitating the trafficking of firearms to drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The appeal arises after a decision by the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in January. The appellate court found that Mexico’s claims might fall within a narrow exception of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act—a U.S. law that generally shields the firearms industry from lawsuits over the misuse of their products. The trial court had initially dismissed the case citing this law.

Mexico argues in its lawsuit, initiated in 2021, that the gun makers and a distributor engaged in business practices that aided and abetted the illegal trafficking of guns. The country asserts that these companies designed, marketed, and distributed military-style assault weapons in a manner that foreseeably enabled their acquisition by drug cartels. This, Mexico claims, has exacerbated violence, murder, kidnapping, and extortion within its borders, undermining national security and economic stability.

The gun companies, in their Supreme Court petition, contend that the 1st Circuit’s decision contradicts established U.S. legal precedents and should not have been allowed to proceed. They argue that the ongoing litigation exposes the U.S. firearms industry to years of expensive legal battles initiated by a foreign government attempting to impose gun-control measures that U.S. voters have consistently rejected.

Alejandro Celorio, legal adviser to Mexico’s foreign ministry, stated on social media platform X that Mexico will closely monitor the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the petition and prepare for potential arguments if the case is accepted.

The lawsuit highlights significant concerns about the impact of U.S. gun trafficking on Mexico, with the country citing that over 500,000 guns are trafficked annually from the U.S., and more than 68% of these are manufactured by the companies it has sued. Despite these claims, the gun manufacturers maintain that they have not engaged in any wrongdoing.