Mexico sues 11 US arms companies | The legal measure was presented in federal court in the city of Boston

The government of Mexico has filed a lawsuit against 11 US arms manufacturers and distributors. The legal measure was filed on Wednesday in federal court in the state of Massachusetts. The companies are accused of commercial practices and negligence that facilitate the illegal trafficking of weapons in Mexican territory.

“Reduce the illegal arms trade”

The Foreign Relations Secretary (SRE) said he had filed a lawsuit in federal court in the city of Boston. “We are confident in the legal quality of what we are presenting, we will plead it with all seriousness and we will win the case and we will drastically reduce the illicit trade in arms to Mexico,” the official said. Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard at a press conference. The diplomat said there was no precedent for the Mexican government “to participate in a dispute of this nature” in a US court and that the measure had the authorization of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Negligent practices

The legal measure aims “That companies immediately stop the negligent practices that cause damage and death in Mexico”said Ebrard, who took part in the tribute yesterday to the victims of the shooting at the Walmart supermarket in El Paso, Texas, where 23 people were killed, many of them Mexicans. In turn, he explained that of the SRE demand that the corporate defendants compensate the Mexican government for damages caused by your negligent practices. He also clarified that this lawsuit is not against the United States government, which is known for its efforts and encouragement to reduce and stop the illicit arms trade.

The filed lawsuit further states that “Mexico denounces these promotional practices, as well as other examples of negligence, such as the multiple sale of weapons to a single buyer and the lack of background checks.”

Although the amount is determined at trial, the Foreign Office estimates it could be as high as $ 10 billion. The lawsuit also calls for tighter controls on gun sales as well as better gun safety features. In addition They call on manufacturing and distribution companies to carry out studies and communication campaigns to prevent illicit trafficking.

Defendant companies

The 11 companies that were included in the trial are: Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Beretta United States, Beretta Holding, Century International Weapons, Colt Manufacturing Company, Glock Inc, Glock Ges.mbH, Sturm, Ruger & Co., Witmer Public Security Group Yes Interstate weapons, producers of over 68 percent of the more than half a million guns that are illegally imported into Mexico each year, based on information included in the Mexican government’s claim.

The lawyers who lead the litigation, Alejandro Celorio Alcantara, legal advisor to the SRE, and Steve shadowen, of Shadowen PLLC, explained that the civil lawsuit was brought in a court in Boston, Massachusetts. Alcántara explained that the measure was implemented in the United States so that companies can defend themselves in their own language and under its law.

“This is an example of negligent practice: It is a constitutional right of Americans to own and buy weapons, but we are talking about damage on Mexican territory, which has strict control over its purchase, ”explained Alcántara. For his part, Shadowen, quoted by the Mexican newspaper The dayHe said gun makers “don’t care what a producer of any other product would be expected to take.”

The lawsuit against the 11 companies is unprecedented in the country. The legislator Ricardo Monreal, Senate Majority Leader, called the measure “courageous and fair”. “He seeks to repair the damage, but also to prevent this tragedy that Mexico is living from continuing to generate. I am sure that many of our problems in terms of violence are caused by the illegal use and illegal introduction of weapons into our country.“Monreal added.

Contraband weapons

Illegal arms trafficking in the country is one of the main issues on the binational agenda of Mexico and the United States, despite the fact that the United States is the primary market for bloodthirsty drug cartels. According to Mexican government data, In 2019 alone, more than 17,000 killings involved the use of illegally trafficked weapons from the United States.

According to a report from the United States Department of Justice, 70% of firearms traced between 2014 and 2018 came from our neighbor to the north. “These weapons are intimately linked to the violence that Mexico is experiencing today,” Ebrard said at a press conference.

arms marketing

In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the Mexican government maintains that US arms manufacturers “are aware that their products are trafficked and used in illicit activities against the civilian population and Mexican authorities” and that despite this, they “continue to prioritize their economic benefits, and use marketing strategies to promote increasingly lethal weapons, without security mechanisms or traceability.” The Mexican foreign minister accused the companies of “developing different models of drug trafficking.”

According to the newspaper The Washington Post, the Mexican government cited the example of a Colt pistol. 38 Super which is engraved with an image of the hero of the Mexican revolution, Emiliano Zapata. This model weapon was used in the murder of journalist Miroslava Breach in 2017. The newspaper also reported that the corporate defendants had not responded to requests for comment on the filed legal measure. For his part, the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that “they are made for that (weapons), for them to buy them, they have more value, they have different types of arrangements from the aesthetic point of view. and from the point of view of use. ”

According to data from the Mexican executive, each year more than 500,000 firearms are illegally trafficked from the United States. A government report found that over the past decade, around 2.5 million U.S. weapons have crossed the Mexican border, where the sale of weapons is severely restricted. In the United States, federal law in effect since 2005 protects firearm manufacturers from most civil liability claims against victims of gun violence and their families.