Mexico files new lawsuit against US gun dealers

Mexico’s overseas minister accuses US firms of contributing to unfold of unlawful weapons, excessive murder charges.

Mexico has filed one other lawsuit in the US towards US firms it says are fuelling a surge in homicides and the stream of unlawful weapons into the nation, the Mexican overseas minister introduced.

Overseas Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard mentioned the brand new lawsuit targets 5 US gun sellers — all primarily based within the state of Arizona — which have contributed to the widespread availability of weapons in Mexico and the nation’s excessive murder charge.

The transfer comes simply greater than per week after a US decide dismissed a separate $10bn lawsuit Mexico filed final 12 months towards 11 US gun producers.

“If we don’t cease this huge inflow of weapons to Mexico, how might we cease the violence right here?” Ebrard mentioned in a video shared on Twitter on Monday.

“If the US is asking us to help them — and this factor that we’d work collectively to fight fentanyl, chemical elements, drug cartels — we additionally need them to assist us cut back this inflow of weapons that does us nice hurt.”

Ebrard mentioned the declare was filed in a courtroom in Arizona.

The 5 firms named within the lawsuit are Sprague’s Sports activities, SNG Tactical, Diamondback Taking pictures Sports activities, Lone Prairie D/B/A Hub Goal Sports activities and Ammo A-Z, the Reuters information company reported.

Final week, Ebrard mentioned Mexico would enchantment a September 30 US federal courtroom choice that dismissed the nation’s earlier $10bn lawsuit.

In that case, Mexico had accused 11 US gun producers of using reckless enterprise practices that enabled the stream of weapons into the nation, undermining native legal guidelines and resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Choose F Dennis Saylor of the US District Courtroom for the District of Massachusetts threw out Mexico’s lawsuit, saying the claims didn’t overcome the broad safety offered to gun producers by the Safety of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act handed in 2005.

The regulation shields gun producers from damages “ensuing from the prison or illegal misuse” of a firearm.

The choice was a victory for gun makers, together with Smith & Wesson Manufacturers, Ruger & Co, Glock, and others accused of undermining Mexico’s strict legal guidelines on gun possession by designing, advertising and marketing and promoting military-style assault weapons that drug cartels have been utilizing.

Within the criticism, Mexico estimated that 2.2 p.c of the practically 40 million weapons made yearly within the US are smuggled into Mexico.

And in 2019 alone, at the very least 17,000 homicides had been linked to weapons trafficked from the US, in accordance with the criticism.