In August, the Mexican Government filed a lawsuit in the Massachusetts federal court, suing leading gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Century Arms, Barrett, Colt, Glock and Ruger.
The Mexican Government accused the American gun manufacturers of “actively facilitating the unlawful trafficking of their guns to drug cartels and other criminals in Mexico.”
Special mention was made of Barrett, “whose .50 caliber sniper rifle is a weapon of war prized by the drug cartels.”
In Mexico there is very strict gun control. There is only one gun store in the entire country, and the government issues less than 50 gun permits a year. However it is estimated that half a million guns are smuggled into Mexico from the US annually.
According to the lawsuit in 2019, 17,000 Mexican citizens were murdered with guns manufactured in the U.S.
“Defendants are not accidental or unintentional players in this tragedy; they are deliberate and willing participants, repeating profits from the criminal market they knowingly supply — heedless of the shattering consequences to the Government and its citizens.”
Mexican Government
Bonnie Klapper, a former federal prosecutor and expert on drug enforcement and legislation, said Mexico will have a tough time getting around the 2005 federal legislation shielding gun companies.
“Will the lawsuit succeed? It’s a brilliant idea. If nothing else, it will shine a light on how dirty this industry is and how messed up and ineffective U.S. policy is. We treat Mexico like a dumping ground for our guns and then condemn Mexico for the drug-related gun violence that spreads into the U.S.”
“We want the companies that are being sued to compensate the government of Mexico for the damages caused by its negligent practices.”
Mexican Government Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard
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