Photo: Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF
The Mexican government said Wednesday, Aug. 4, that it will file a suit against several U.S.-based gun manufacturers, claiming that lax controls have led to a surge in the illegal flow of weapons across the border, The Washington Post reported.
The Washington Post said that the suit will be filed in a “U.S. federal court in Boston, since some of the manufacturers are headquartered in Massachusetts.”
It also stated that the suit will not target the U.S. government.
According to Mexican authorities, in the last decade, some 2.5 million U.S.-made firearms have entered the country illegally.
The lawsuit is based on the premise that the U.S. arms manufacturers “are conscious of the fact that their products are trafficked and used in illicit activities against the civilian population and authorities of Mexico,” according to a document from Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE).
“Nonetheless, they continue to prioritize their economic benefit, and use marketing strategies to promote weapons that are ever more lethal, without mechanisms of security or traceability,” the SRE statement said.
Among the companies named in the lawsuit are: Smith & Wesson Brands, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Beretta U.S.A. Corp, Glock, and Colt’s Manufacturing.
The lawsuit (the sum of which was not disclosed) also calls for the adoption of tighter controls on gun sales and security features.
There was no immediate response from the companies.
However, as the Washington Post article pointed out, a U.S. federal law that took effect in 2005 shields gun manufacturers from most civil liability claims, which will make it difficult for Mexico’s lawsuit to proceed.
Pingback: Mexican Army Spends Millions on High-Powered Weaponry - Pulse News Mexico