In 2022, the Foreign Ministry filed a second lawsuit in Tucson, Arizona, against five gun stores in that border state. The ruling was favorable for Mexico as it proved that the stores were aware that the firearms they sold would be used for illegal purposes. Today, the Federal Court for the District of Arizona issued a verdict in favor of Mexico in its lawsuit against these stores, whose illegal trafficking directly affects the safety of Mexican families.
In August 2024, a federal district judge in Boston again dismissed the case against six of the eight companies, arguing that the Mexican government had not provided concrete evidence that the activities of those companies were related to the suffering caused in Mexico by the weapons. In this situation, only Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms remained in the lawsuit. In response to Donald Trump's threat to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned the possibility of expanding the lawsuit against American gun manufacturers.
In a conference, Sheinbaum expressed the possibility of extending the lawsuit against gun manufacturers and distributors in the United States, given the high percentages of illegal weapons from that country used by criminal groups in Mexico. Mexico seeks to strengthen its laws against the sale and trafficking of foreign-sourced weapons by taking appropriate legal action.
In February 2024, the Foreign Ministry held a working meeting with legal representatives in the lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers in the United States. They are preparing for a hearing in the Supreme Court of the United States next March as part of the lawsuit filed by Mexico, which seeks to determine whether the sued companies are complicit in the illegal trafficking of weapons to Mexico.
Throughout the process, Mexico has maintained its stance of seeking justice and holding accountable the companies involved in the illegal trafficking of arms to the country. The civil lawsuit filed in Massachusetts against companies that manufacture weapons in the United States seeks to hold these companies accountable for facilitating access to weapons for criminal groups in Mexico, demanding compensation for the damages caused. Despite initial setbacks in the lawsuit, Mexico is preparing to continue litigation in pursuit of asserting its rights and protecting the safety of its citizens.
