The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against American gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson and US gun distributor Interstate Arms. Mexico accuses these companies of fueling drug trafficking and violence by engaging in a “negligent and illicit” trade.
“Mexico simply seeks to halt the unlawful flow of guns into Mexico,” lawyers for the Mexican government said in a brief, seeking $10 billion in damages. They emphasized that the case is “not a platform for a debate about Americans’ right to bear arms”.
However, lawyers for Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms argue that the companies cannot be held accountable for the misuse of their products. They claim that a ruling in Mexico’s favor would “eviscerate” the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which shields gunmakers from liability for criminals misusing their products.
The Mexican government maintains that 70-90% of the weapons recovered at crime scenes in Mexico have been trafficked from the United States, with between 200,000 and 750,000 US-made weapons smuggled across the border every year.
In a related development, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned US gunmakers that they could face fresh legal action and be deemed accomplices if Washington designates Mexican cartels as terrorist groups.
She rejected US accusations of an alliance between the Mexican government and drug cartels, saying “If there is such an alliance anywhere, it is in the US gun shops that sell high-powered weapons to these criminal groups”.