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

U.S. Gun Manufacturers Challenge Mexico’s $10 Billion Lawsuit in Supreme Court

In a bold move, U.S. gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson Brands and Sturm, Ruger & Co, have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their challenge to Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks to hold them responsible for facilitating the trafficking of firearms to violent drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The companies argue that a lower court wrongly concluded that the case qualified for an exception to a U.S. law that grants the firearms industry broad protection from lawsuits over the misuse of their products. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was cited by a trial court judge in dismissing the case, but the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in January, finding that Mexico’s claims fit within a narrow exception to the liability shield.

The companies are now appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the 1st Circuit’s ruling goes against past precedents and should never have been allowed to move forward. They claim that Mexico’s lawsuit has no place in an American court and that it is an attempt by a foreign sovereign to bully the industry into adopting gun-control measures that have been rejected by American voters.

Mexico, on the other hand, alleges that the companies have undermined its strict gun laws by designing, marketing, and distributing military-style assault weapons in ways that arm drug cartels and fuel violence in the country. Mexico says that over 500,000 guns are trafficked annually from the U.S. into Mexico, with more than 68% of them made by the companies being sued.

The outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the firearms industry and the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. Stay tuned as the Supreme Court considers whether to admit the case for study.