JAKARTA - Mexico has sued a number of weapons manufacturers in a US federal court over the reckless business practices that allowed Mexican drug cartels to possess weapons, causing thousands of deaths, Wednesday local time.
The lawsuit alleges units of Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt's Manufacturing Company, Glock Inc, Sturm, Ruger & Co and others, of knowing their business practices have encouraged the illegal arms trade into Mexico.
The lawsuit cites the gun that had entered Mexico used in the infamous shooting, noting that the 'Emiliano Zapata 1911' .38 Colt pistol was engraved with the image of Mexican revolutionaries, and was a coveted status symbol by drug cartels.
"What is the purpose? For these companies to compensate the Mexican Government for the damage caused by their negligent practice," Secretary of State Marcelo Ebrard told a news conference about the lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. .
The lawsuit is one of the boldest steps Mexico has ever taken to suppress the US arms industry, which Mexican leaders have blamed for years for fueling gang violence.
Companies need to stop their harmful practices immediately, Ebrard said, noting that courts will decide what damages to pay. He spoke after Mexican officials told reporters the lawsuit was estimated at $10 billion. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mexico has experienced record high homicide rates in recent years. Guns trafficked to Mexico were responsible for at least 17,000 homicides in 2019 alone, a Mexican official said. Other officials estimate the economic damage caused by the violence at around 1.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Meanwhile, 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 their own borders," Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president, said in a statement.
He emphasized that Mexican drug cartels use weapons that were illegally brought into Mexico or stolen from the Mexican military and law enforcement.
Mexico accuses companies of helping to violate strict gun laws by marketing to the country's criminal underworld, thereby 'actively facilitating the illegal trade of their weapons to drug cartels'.
Mexican officials said they had spent two years analyzing legal precedent for negligence by US gun makers. They refer to similar lawsuits, including a recent offer by Remington Arms Co. to pay nearly $33 million to the families of victims.
This relates to the settlement of a lawsuit claiming firearm marketing contributed to the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut, in which 26 people were killed.
The inappropriate marketing claim has been used in other lawsuits as an exception to a US law that grants immunity to the arms industry, and could encourage companies to be more transparent in explaining their operations.
"There's been an attempt that seems to be making some progress to get the arms industry and manufacturers in particular, to leak records of how they think about marketing, distribution and sales practices," said Timothy Lytton, a professor at Georgia State University School of Law.
Mexico's lawsuit says more than 500,000 weapons are trafficked annually from the United States to Mexico, of which more than 68 percent, or more than 340,000, are made by the companies concerned.
Mexican officials said they expected the case to take a long time to settle, but were confident it would work, noting that the case was brought to the United States to ensure impartiality.
Meanwhile, a Mexican official said the lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts because several companies are based there. In addition, the lawsuit is not directed at the US Government and Ebrard said he believes President Joe Biden's Administration is willing to work with Mexico to stem the arms trade.
To note, Ebrard, who is seen as a leading contender for Mexico's 2024 presidential election, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the US arms trade and weak gun controls.
The announcement of the lawsuit comes a day after Ebrard traveled to El Paso, Texas, to commemorate the second anniversary of the 22-person Walmart murder in which the shooter was accused of deliberately targeting Mexicans.
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