US Supreme Court tosses Mexico’s $1 Billion Message Lawsuit Against Firearms Industry: Guns Save Life

The US Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the case in which Mexico is suing a number of US arms manufacturers for allegedly giving weapons into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

Mexico claims the companies deliberately chose to “take advantage of the criminal market for their products” and allowed a flood of weapons to fall into the hands of Mexican cartels. And the Mexican government wants the companies to pay billions of dollars in damages.

In August, a federal judge in Boston dismissed several companies from the lawsuit, including Sturm, Ruger and Company, Glock, Barrett Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing, Century International Arms and Beretta. Companies still involved in the lawsuit include gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson and wholesaler Whitmer Public Safety Group.

Of course, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) bars frivolous lawsuits against the firearms industry for damages caused by criminal and unlawful acts of external third parties. Consequently, a U.S. district court dismissed the case and found that the claims were dismissed by the PLCAA.

However, the 1^st The Circuit Court of Appeals revived Mexico’s appeal case, ruling that Mexico’s claims alleging that the defendants knew that their regular business practices contributed to the illegal firearms trade fit within a limited exception to the PLCAA.