Mexico Sues US-based Gunmakers Over Flow of Arms Across Border
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After a spike in homicides due to the flow of arms across the Mexican border, Mexico sued US-based gun manufacturers.
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Around 2.5 million illicit American guns have flowed across the Mexican border.
The Mexican government sued major US gun manufacturers Wednesday, accusing them of contributing to an illegal flow of arms across the border.
Mexican authorities argue that US-made weapons have led to violence that played a huge part in transforming parts of the country over the past decade.
It is worth mentioning that around 2.5 million illicit American guns have flowed across the border, in light of tight restrictions on legal gun sales in Mexico.
The lawsuit argues that US 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 the Foreign Ministry.
“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,” it continued.
It is noteworthy that homicides have spiked in recent years in Mexico as drug cartels have shattered into smaller groups that have moved into extortion, kidnapping, and other criminal activities.
The Mexican lawsuit was filed a day after the anniversary of the 2019 mass shooting in the border city of El Paso that left 23 people dead.
The suspect said that he targeted Latinos, according to U.S. authorities.
Following the attack, Mexico’s foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, had vowed to study legal actions because of the harm exposed to Mexican citizens.
