MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico sued several gun manufacturers in US federal court on Wednesday, charging them with reckless business practices supplying what it called a "torrent" of illegal weapons to violent Mexican drug cartels. which caused thousands of deaths.
The lawsuit alleges that the units of Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt's Manufacturing Company, Glock Inc, Sturm, Ruger & Co, and others knew that their business practices had encouraged illegal arms trafficking into Mexico.
The lawsuit cites weapons that had entered Mexico used in notorious shootings, and notes that Colt's .38-caliber "Emiliano Zapata 1911" pistol is engraved with the image of the Mexican revolutionary and is a status symbol coveted by drug cartels. .
"What is the OBJETIVE? That the companies in question compensate the government of Mexico for the damage caused by their negligent practices, "said Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard at a press conference on the lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
The lawsuit is one of the boldest steps ever taken by Mexico to pressure the US arms industry, which Mexican leaders have for years blamed for fueling gang violence.
The companies must immediately end their harmful practices, Ebrard said, noting that the court would decide what damages should be paid. He spoke after Mexican officials told reporters the lawsuit sought an estimated $ 10 billion.
The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation Inc (NSSF) said it rejected Mexico's claims that US manufacturers were negligent in their business practices.
"The Mexican government is responsible for rampant crime and corruption within its own borders," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president, in a statement. He said the cartels use weapons illegally brought into Mexico or stolen from the Mexican armed forces and police.
'ACTIVELY FACILITATE'
Mexico accused the companies of helping to violate its strict gun laws by trading in the country's criminal underworld and thus "actively facilitating the illegal trafficking of their weapons to drug cartels."
Mexican officials said they had spent two years analyzing legal precedents about the negligence of US gun manufacturers.
They pointed to cases that include a recent offer by Remington Arms Co to pay nearly $ 33 million to families to settle lawsuits that claim firearms trading contributed to the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut, which killed 26 people.
The inappropriate marketing claims have been used in other lawsuits as an exception to US law that grants legal immunity to the arms industry and could be pressuring companies to be more transparent in explaining their operations.
"Efforts appear to be moving forward for the gun industry and manufacturers in particular to release records of how they think about marketing, distribution and sales practices," said Timothy Lytton, professor at the State University School of Law. Georgia.
Mexico's lawsuit says that more than 500,000 weapons are trafficked annually from the United States to Mexico, of which more than 68% of them, or more than 340,000, are manufactured by the companies in question.
Mexico has suffered record homicide rates in recent years.
Arms trafficked to Mexico were responsible for at least 17,000 murders during 2019 alone, a Mexican official said. Another official estimated the damage to the economy caused by the violence at about 1.7% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Mexican officials said they expected the case to take a long time to resolve, but were confident of success, noting that it was brought to the United States to ensure fairness.
A Mexican official said the lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts because some of the companies were based there.
Mexican officials said the lawsuit was not directed at the US government, and Ebrard said he believed the Biden administration was willing to work with Mexico to stop the arms trade.
Ebrard, considered one of the main contenders for Mexico's 2024 presidential elections, has repeatedly expressed concern about arms trafficking in the United States and lax gun controls.
The announcement of the lawsuit came a day after Ebrard traveled to El Paso, Texas, to commemorate the second anniversary of the murder of 22 people at a Walmart, where the attacker was accused of deliberately targeting Mexicans.
