Supreme Court blocks Mexico's lawsuit against US gun makers over cartel violence

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

June 5, 2025, 11:24 AM


The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in favor of U.S. gun manufacturers and blocked a liability lawsuit brought by the government of Mexico, which sought to hold the companies accountable for the trafficking of their weapons south of the border to fuel violence by the cartels.

The government argued in its historic lawsuit that American firearms manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson, Glock, Beretta and Colt, were "aiding and abetting" the illicit flow of weapons across the border. Mexico sought $10 billion in damages, court-mandated safety mechanisms and sales restrictions for U.S.-made guns.

Justice Elena Kagan said in her opinion that federal law grants broad immunity to U.S. gun companies and unquestionably protects them from Mexico's claims. "Mexico alleges that the companies aided and abetted unlawful sales routing guns to Mexican drug cartels. The question presented is whether Mexico's complaint plausibly pleads that conduct. We conclude it does not," Kagan wrote.

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005 bars lawsuits against any gun manufacturer over the illegal acts of a person using one of a manufacturer's guns. But it does create an exception for claims involving a gun company's alleged knowing violation of rules governing the sale and marketing of firearms.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-blocks-lawsuit-gun-manufacturer-filed-mexican/story?id=120902600

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Link to SCOTUS RULING (PDF) - https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-1141_lkgn.pdf

[ck4829]

1. Alright, if cartels are terrorist organizations, then so are the listed manufacturers

[moniss]

2. Government of Mexico should

notify the gun manufacturers and the US government that going forward any person working for or having any affiliation with a US gun manufacturer who enters Mexico for any reason will be taken into custody and will face mandatory life in prison. They should extend that to makers of ammunition as well.

[ancianita]

3. Kagan says Mexico doesn't have enough evidence that cartels are terrorist, or that manufacturers are aiders/abbetters.

I trust that Kagan is right to say the evidentiary standard isn't met.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Odd how the whole Constitution is being destroyed but not the Second Amendment. /nt

[azureblue]

5. Mexico should be

Taking the gun dealers to court. They have the right idea but the wrong business. The US should be cooperating by helping Mexico trace back the firearms to the dealer that sold it. But here's the thing - It's border states firearms dealers, states with lax gun laws, that are allowing mass sales of firearms to be smuggled into Mexico. But you know Texas will never cooperate - they are making money..

[twodogsbarking]

6. Guns. And one more thing. Guns.

[cstanleytech]

7. Not surprised as they have turned away other unrelated overseas lawsuits that are unrelated to guns before.

[OC375]

8. Compromise

Apparently Mexico is hesitant to label cartels "terrorist organizations" and it significantly impacted their case. Maybe there's a compromise to be had?

[sinkingfeeling]

9. That 2005 bill needs to be repealed.

[Bayard]

10. Cartel members are not terrorists,

But every person the trump admin sends to El Salvador is a terrorist.