Mexico Wins Big against U.S. Gunmakers in $10B Lawsuit

In February 2024, the Mexican representatives will sit before a Chief U.S. District Judge as they bring forth a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against American gunmakers.

Mexican lawyers working on behalf of the state will bring forth a 10$ billion lawsuit against five U.S. weapons manufacturers and one Mexcian distributor. 

The Mexican government argues the weapons end up in the possession of cartels, which is drastically increasing the homicide rate across the nation.

Yet, at best estimates, anywhere between 300,000 and 600,000 weapons illegally cross the border into Mexico annually.

This includes high-powered .50 caliber sniper rifles that are equipped with armor-piercing ammunition. 

According to the gunmakers, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act prohibits any kind of lawsuit brought against them for how the weapons are used.

They later reversed the dismissal after claiming certain exceptions apply, and now the case will be settled in a Massachusetts court.

On February 22, a status conference will be held in Arizona’s District Court. According to reports, six of the rifles were illegally taken across the border by gun dealers from the state.

What this means is that even if the Mexcian representatives present facts, it will be difficult to establish whether or not there was a direct cause of action.

Now, the case will be taken on by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez. 

A statement shared with Border Report claims Marquez has requested both parties provide her with any information deemed necessary to the case.

“This request reflects Judge Marquez’s deep interest in conducting a thorough analysis of the matter, which confirms the seriousness and importance of the case,” they said.

The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs estimated in 2023 that between 200,000 and 500,000 firearms are smuggled into Mexico every year.

The Homeland Security Committee in 2023 estimated that since Joe Biden took office, there have been over 7.5 million encounters with border crosses nationwide, with 6.2 million of those being on the country’s southwest border.

The New York Post reported in September that cartels employ a strategy of sending mobs of migrant workers all at once to overwhelm the US Border Patrol. This provides them an opportunity to more easily smuggle these dangerous substances into the US.

According to law enforcement sources who talked to the New York Post, cartels tell potential border crossers that the Biden administration will grant them asylum after only one appointment. Their goal is to profit from these people who they hope to charge for the service of smuggling them into the country.

Americans’ second amendment right to bear arms will ensure that guns are readily accessible and numerous throughout the country.

Any American citizen can purchase a firearm from a federally licensed dealer as long as they  meet age and background requirements. Typically one has to be 18 to purchase a firearm for themselves, though depending on the weapon, the age limit might be as high as 21.

One of the stated goals of these executive orders was to keep guns out of potentially dangerous hands. Biden did everything in his power to move the country to universal background checks without the lengthy process of going through congress. 

Someone has to enter an army base full of soldiers and give up all electronics to enter. Prospective buyers must also undergo a metal detector scan and cannot examine the guns themselves. All the guns they can purchase are locked behind glass cases.

The Harvard Gazette reported in 2022 that between 70 to 90 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes can be traced back to the United States. Most of them seem to have come from the states of Texas or Arizona.

“We decided to go to the source of the problem. Like if this were a toxic river, in addition to cleaning the river, we need to go to the source and stop the toxic waste from being dumped at the river,” he said.

The article goes on to point out that although firearm suicides are rising, it is following a negative trend where the Hispanics who committed suicide were receiving mental treatment at a lower rate than non-Hispanics.

Hope is an important thing to have when enacting change. It is a critical first step for people to see that efforts to fight the problem have made a tangible difference. This will hopefully inspire more concerned people to demand more from their governments on the issue.