Mexico Sues American Gun Companies In US Court, Claims Negligent Practices - Filing

Umer Jamshaid Published August 04, 2021 | 09:40 PM

The Mexican government filed a civil lawsuit against US gun manufacturers alleging negligent business practices contributed to illegal arms trafficking in Mexico, court documents revealed on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2021) The Mexican government filed a civil lawsuit against US gun manufacturers alleging negligent business practices contributed to illegal arms trafficking in Mexico, court documents revealed on Wednesday.

The lawsuit includes six US-based manufacturers, which the government says manufacture the guns that are most recovered in Mexico: Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glock and Ruger.

"Plaintiff Estados Unidos Mexicanos [Mexico], a sovereign nation, brings this action to put an end to the massive damage that the Defendants cause by actively facilitating the unlawful trafficking of their guns to drug cartels and other criminals in Mexico. Almost all guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico - 70 percent to 90 percent of them - were trafficked from the United States," the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also targets US gun manufacturer Barrett because its 0.

5 caliber sniper rifle is a weapon widely used among the Mexican drug cartels. In addition, the lawsuit goes after a US wholesale gun store called Interstate Arms from the US state of Massachusetts that allegedly sells most of the firearms listed in the complaint for re-sale to gun dealers throughout the United States.

The lawsuit said the Mexican government and Mexican citizens have been victims of the military-style guns that are trafficked from the United States into Mexico.

US gun manufacturers are capable of preventing illegal arms trafficking but they refuse to take action because profit from the criminal gun market in Mexico, the lawsuit added.

The Mexican government wants regulations to be put in place that will prevent arms trafficking into Mexico and compensation for damages the illegal trade has caused in Mexico, according to the lawsuit.