AMLO reiterates that arms lawsuit is not against the US 3:13
(CNN) -
Typically, when the media talks about flows across the US-Mexico border, they are referring to desperate migrants and refugees heading north.
But Mexico has now turned the tables and is trying to stem the torrent of firearms that is heading south from the United States to criminal gangs.
The Mexican government sued 11 firearms manufacturers, claiming they know their products are fueling ruthless violence in Mexico, but are doing little to stop it.
The lawsuit also claims that the companies are marketing their weapons to appeal to criminals south of the border.
"The defendants design these weapons so that they are easily modified to fire automatically and are easily transferable in the criminal market in Mexico," the lawsuit says.
The case, filed in Massachusetts, targets firms such as Smith & Wesson, Barrett, Beretta USA, Glock, Century International Arms and Colt's Manufacturing Co.
The companies have not made public comment, but the US trade association National Shooting Sports Foundation denied Mexico's allegations in a statement that reads: "The firearms industry trade association rejects Mexico's allegations that gun manufacturers American Firefighters Engaged in Negligent Business Practices. "
advertising
Mexico filed a lawsuit against US arms manufacturers for allegedly facilitating illegal trafficking
On average, more than 500 firearms from the United States cross the southern border every day, according to the Mexican Foreign Ministry.
They fuel violence in many parts of the country related to drug trafficking.
Analyst Sees Obstacles to Mexico's Gun Lawsuit 1:49
Mexico has just gone through an extraordinarily bloody midterm election campaign in which more than 30 candidates were shot and killed by criminal gangs.
Not surprisingly, his government is unsettled by the impact of lax gun laws north of the border.
Given the broad protections embedded in U.S. law to satisfy the gun lobby, the lawsuit faces a tough road in America, especially since ultimately the conservative majority of the Supreme Court is likely to be against a stricter gun control.
Arrests at the U.S.-Mexico Border Remain at the Highest Level in Decades, Amid the Hottest Weeks of Summer
But ironically, the southbound gun tsunami is contributing to the same crime, unrest and discouragement that convinces thousands of migrants to attempt the dangerous crossing into the United States in search of a better life. .
But that's not something you'll hear from conservative leaders endlessly accusing President Joe Biden of failing to secure the border, who are generally the same politicians who resist almost any gun control.
weapons
