Mexico to sue U.S. gun makers over flow of weapons into the country

Ivana Saric
·1 min read

The Mexican government said it plans to sue a number of U.S.-based gun makers, alleging that the makers' loose controls allow for the weapons to be illegally trafficked into Mexico, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Mexican officials believe the flow from the U.S. has helped contribute to the high rates of gun violence in parts of the country, per the Post.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

  • The suit notes that American-made guns are more likely to be used to kill Mexican citizens than Americans.

Between the lines: The lawsuit, obtained by the Post, alleges gun makers know their weapons are trafficked into Mexico and "used in illicit activities against the civilian population," but that they continue to market them for their own economic benefit "without mechanisms of security or traceability."

The big picture: The lawsuit seeks an unspecified sum of money from the gun manufactures, as well as new security features on the weapons, tighter sales controls and new studies and media campaigns to combat arms trafficking.

  • The suit will be filed in Boston, where several of the gun makers are located. The companies targeted include Smith & Wesson Brands, Barrett Firearms, Beretta U.S.A. Corp, Glock Inc., and Colt’s Manufacturing.

Of note: Mexico has only one gun store and generally stricter gun laws than the U.S.

  • A study conducted last year by the Mexican government found that 2.5 million guns have flowed into the country from the U.S. over the past decade, the Washington Post reported at the time.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting

Recommended Stories

  • Relatives of Dayton shooting victims sue gun magazine maker

    The high-capacity magazine used by the man who gunned down nine people in Dayton two years ago serves no purpose other than allowing for the killing of as many people as possible, family members of four victims alleged in a lawsuit against the magazine maker. The complaint filed Sunday in Nevada accuses magazine maker Kyung Chang Industry USA Inc., of deliberately marketing and selling 100-round magazines of the kind used by Dayton mass shooter Connor Betts in the Aug. 4, 2019, attack. The company made and sold 100-round magazines fully aware they “have no or negligible utility for lawful uses of firearms but pose a tremendous risk to public safety because they are extremely effective and attractive for use in unlawful mass shootings,” the lawsuit said.

  • Mexico to sue US gunmakers over firearms illegally crossing the border

    Authorities believe the flow of weapons has fuelled violence in the country

  • Grammy Awards show to make diversity part of the contract

    The Recording Academy said it was adopting a so-called "inclusion rider" to its contract with producers of the January 2022 Grammy ceremony to boost diversity at every level. The inclusion rider will oblige the company that produces the show to "make its best effort to recruit, audition, interview and hire on-stage and off-stage people who have been historically and systematically excluded from the industry." The Recording Academy said it would be the first major music awards show to commit to using an inclusion rider.

  • Biden Admin Renews Title 42 Expulsions for Migrants

    The Biden administration has extended the Title 42 policy that allows border agents to expel migrants and asylum-seekers without a court hearing over concerns of coronavirus spread.

  • Two New York district attorneys request evidence from Cuomo sexual harassment investigation

    Comes after a report from the New York attorney general’s office alleged multiple instances of sexual misconduct.

  • Man arrested after passengers duct tape him to seat following in-air fight

    Maxwell Berry, who was arrested at an airport in Miami, is alleged to have groped two flight attendants and then gotten into a physical altercation with a third.

  • Newsom can't tie recall to GOP in voter guide, lawsuit says

    Top supporters of the recall against California Gov. Gavin Newsom want to block him from branding the contest as a Republican effort in the official election guide that will be sent to voters ahead of the Sept. 14 contest. Orrin Heatlie and Mike Netter are asking a judge to strike portions of Newsom’s ballot statement and edit other parts.

  • Watch Dodgers' Mookie Betts make diving catch at second base

    Former Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts threw it back to his minor league days by making an incredible catch at second base for the Dodgers on Tuesday.

  • Pentagon police identify officer killed in line of duty during attack

    The Pentagon Force Protection Agency announced the passing of Officer George Gonzalez on Wednesday.

  • Mexico near deal to buy Sig Sauer automatic rifles from U.S. -sources

    The small arms maker Sig Sauer Inc has sought U.S. approval to sell millions of dollars' worth of automatic assault rifles to the armed services of Mexico in a deal that will help to modernize the country's military, people familiar with the situation said. The U.S. Congress was notified last week that the Mexican Navy and Naval Infantry are in line to purchase as much as $5.5 million worth of automatic rifles made by Sig Sauer. Mexico's drug war violence has largely been carried out with weapons from the United States, imported both legally and illegally.

  • Pentagon IDs officer slain in attack as officials seek clues

    Federal investigators were digging Wednesday into the background of a Georgia man who officials say fatally stabbed a Pentagon police officer at a transit station outside the building before being shot and killed himself. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency identified the slain officer as George Gonzalez, a New York native and Army veteran who served in Iraq and joined the police force three years ago. The FBI was leading the investigation into the violence and the suspect, identified by multiple law enforcement officials as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia.

  • Biden calls on Cuomo to resign after sexual harassment findings

    President Biden called on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to resign on Tuesday after an independent investigation found that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including employees in his office, in violation of state and federal law.Why it matters: Unlike dozens of other prominent Democrats, Biden held off on calling for Cuomo's resignation in March when the allegations of sexual misconduct first emerged.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscr

  • Plaschke: Cheated of the World Series — and now of sweet revenge

    Dodgers fans came ready with insults and jeers for the Houston Astros, but the Dodgers players' offense didn't match up.

  • I tried working out like Simone Biles for a week, and now I have even more respect for Olympic athletes

    I followed a routine inspired by the gymnastics gold medalist to see how she trains for her competitions. Here's what it was like and what I thought.

  • Zapp Scooters poised to enter crowded electric motorbike segment

    British-based Zapp Scooters plans to begin selling its new i300 electric two-wheeler this fall in Europe and early next year in the United States, the company said on Wednesday, as the electric motorbike segment grows increasingly crowded. Founded by Thai entrepreneur Swin Chatsuwan, a former investment banker now based in the UK, four-year-old Zapp is going to market with a build-to-order business model, according Tony Posawatz, a Zapp investor and adviser who was formerly with General Motors Co. A key competitor, the Italian-built, battery-powered Vespa Elettrica, starts at $7,449.

  • Chinese prince of pop Kris Wu's arrest in Beijing on rape accusations means the #MeToo movement may have finally come for East Asia's superstars

    Kris Wu's star shone bright for nine years, and he went from Seoul's KPop stage to Hollywood movie sets. Wu was detained in Beijing on Saturday following accusations of rape.

  • Donations fizzle to GOP attorneys general group involved in Jan. 6 rally

    Donations to the Republican Attorneys General Association dipped considerably in the months following the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol, records show.Driving the news: Large companies that gave in the past — such as Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Capital One, Johnson & Johnson and CocaCola — didn't donate to RAGA in the first six months of this year. Another prior donor, Facebook, said it paused its political giving program altogether.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe

  • The Horrific Details of How Andrew Cuomo Allegedly Preyed on a State Trooper

    Photo by Carlo Allegri-Pool/Getty ImagesWhen New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office had substantiated a slew of allegations of sexual harassment against scandal-plagued Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, perhaps the most shocking revelation involved a female state trooper assigned to his protective detail.In addition to targeting the woman for assignment to him and subsequently sexually harassing her on several occasions, the AG’s probe led by two outside lawyers found, Cuo

  • Man stomped by police glad for bodycam, honest officer

    A South Carolina man whose head was stomped last week by a police officer said he is thankful for body camera footage and a second officer who immediately stepped up to say her colleague was not telling the truth. On July 26, Clarence Gailyard had been holding a stick wrapped in shiny tape, which he uses in case a dog tries to attack him when he is walking, when someone in Orangeburg called 911 and said he was carrying a gun. Orangeburg Public Safety Officer David Lance Dukes ordered Gailyard to the ground.

  • White woman in viral video says she had no choice but to call police on Black bird-watcher

    “I don’t know that as a woman alone in a park that I had another option," Amy Cooper said in a recent interview about the May 25, 2020, encounter with Christian Cooper.