The Supreme Court is determining the fate of a lawsuit filed by the Mexican government against U.S. gun manufacturers for their alleged role in fueling violence in Mexico. The case, which seeks up to $10 billion in damages, accuses companies like Smith & Wesson and Colt of selling guns that end up in the hands of criminal organizations in Mexico. The government claims that these companies knowingly sell guns to dealers who traffic them across the border.
The lawsuit has sparked tensions between American and Mexican leaders, with President Trump implementing new tariffs and designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups. Democrats in Washington have introduced legislation to address the flow of guns across the border, estimated to be at least 200,000 annually.
The case hinges on the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a U.S. law that restricts lawsuits against gun manufacturers. The manufacturers argue that the law protects them from liability for the criminal misuse of their firearms by third parties. Mexico’s legal team is focusing on exceptions to this liability shield, claiming that the companies knowingly violated gun laws and contributed to the harm suffered in Mexico.
The case has gone through various rulings, with a federal judge initially ruling in favor of the manufacturers, but the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reviving the case. The Supreme Court must now decide whether the lawsuit can proceed based on the exceptions to the liability shield under the federal law.
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