Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States

08/14/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2024 19:31

Hearing held on Mexican government's lawsuit against gun manufacturers

Hearing held on Mexican government's lawsuit against gun manufacturers

Press Release 309

Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores | August 14, 2024 | Press Release

Hearing held on Mexican government's lawsuit against gun manufacturers
  • In August 2021, Mexico filed a lawsuit against eight gun manufacturers and distributors in a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • In January 2024, contrary to all expectations, Mexico overcame the immunity these companies enjoy under U.S. law.
  • The lawsuit continues against two of the main defendants.

Today, the U.S. District Court in Boston, Massachusetts held a hearing to analyze the next steps in the lawsuit filed by the Mexican government against gun manufacturers, whose carelessness and negligence cause harm in Mexican territory.

On August 7, Chief Judge Dennis Saylor of the U.S. District Court ruled that the court cannot try six of the defendant companies, despite their commercial activities in Massachusetts and the fact that their products end up in Mexico. The judge determined-without analyzing further evidence-that they cannot be tried in that state.

This decision does not absolve the six companies of responsibility for the damages caused to Mexico. Chief Judge Saylor is the same judge who, in September 2022, ruled that the defendants enjoyed immunity and could not be brought before a court. Mexico appealed and overturned this decision in January 2024, becoming the first foreign government to successfully challenge this immunity. The defendant companies have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision but the case has not been accepted to date.

At today's hearing, Mexico emphasized that it continues to analyze legal alternatives. Mexico also advocated for the trial to proceed against the two companies still included in the lawsuit: Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., whose firearms make up the largest number of guns seized in our country, and Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc., a gun distributor in the United States.

Given that the U.S. Supreme Court could decide in September whether to review the case, the District Court has scheduled the next hearing for October 2, 2024.

The lawsuits filed by Mexico have received international recognition and are considered a watershed moment in the discussion about the gun industry's responsibility for the violence in Mexico and the region.

The Mexican government will continue to pursue all available legal actions to hold gun manufacturers accountable for the serious harm they cause to the Mexican people.