Mexico suing American gun manufacturers as US fights fentanyl flow

• Mexico is suing American gun manufacturers for $10 billion, seeking better monitoring of weapon distribution networks. The U.S. also passed stricter penalties for gun traffickers.
• Around 250,000 guns are smuggled annually and 70% of guns at Mexican crime scenes traced back to the U.S.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is now demanding action to curb the flow of American firearms into Mexico.

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As the United States battles the flow of Fentanyl into the nation from Mexico, the Mexican government is fighting to halt the surge of American guns coming into its country.

Following an agreement to pause tariffs against Mexico, President Donald Trump announced Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s promise to send 10,000 troops to the border to combat drug trafficking.

Now, Sheinbaum is demanding action to curb the flow of American firearms into her country, even so far as to sue American gun manufacturers.

How big is the problem?

A retired U.S. federal official told The Wall Street Journal many of the tens of millions of guns sold in the United States each year get smuggled into other countries with tighter gun control.

It’s a major problem for Mexico, which has seen a surge in cartel violence over the past two decades.

The issue is also notable because there are only two legal gun stores within the entire country.

Mexican authorities also said American firearms have been used in attacks, such as the 2019 massacre of Mormon families headed to a wedding in northern Mexico. Authorities said that six women and three children were killed in the incident.

Mexican officials have repeatedly pushed for the United States do more about the illegal distribution of firearms into the country. Around 250,000 guns are smuggled across the border each year, according to Mexican authorities. The U.S. Government Accountability Office said 70% of guns traced at Mexican crime scenes between 2014 and 2018 came from the United States.

What does the lawsuit seek?

Mexico is now suing American gun manufacturers for $10 billion. The country also wants firearms manufacturers to monitor their weapons distribution networks for trafficking.

American gun companies argued the lawsuit should be thrown out because of U.S. federal laws limiting the liability of gun-makers if their weapons are used in crimes. The manufacturers also said they are not to blame for cartel violence in Mexico.

How does gun smuggling work?

Former federal agents said much of the gun smuggling happens through so-called “straw buyers.” These people purchase the weapons for traffickers at gun stores in border states, who then buy and transport them through areas where few vehicles are checked by U.S. or Mexican authorities.

A former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent told The Wall Street Journal that Mexican authorities are reluctant to search for smuggled firearms over fears of being killed by cartels.

What is the U.S. doing about the problem?

The United States took action in 2022, passing a law imposing stricter penalties on straw purchasers and gun traffickers in a bid to get prosecutors to take more action against criminal networks.