Judge Dismisses Mexico's Lawsuit Against American Gun Manufacturers

This week, a Massachusetts judge dismissed a lawsuit the Mexican government filed against American gun manufacturers. The case alleged that gunmakers were fueling gang violence in Mexico, but the court disagreed. The ruling marks the end of a three-year legal battle between the Mexican government and American gunmakers.

Mexican Government Case Dismissed Against American Gun Makers

On August 7, 2024, Massachusetts District Court Judge Dennis Saylor dismissed the Mexican government’s lawsuit against six American gun manufacturers:

• Colt Manufacturing
• Barrett Firearms
• Beretta
• Century Arms
• Glock
• Sturm, Ruger, & Co

Judge Saylor said that there was little evidence that any of the guns involved in Mexican cartel violence actually came from Massachusetts. In addition, none of the gun manufacturers named in the lawsuit were actually incorporated in Mass.

The judge did not dismiss the case against Smith & Wesson, though. That’s because the company was based in Massachusetts in 2021, the year the case was filed. Smith & Wesson relocated from Massachusetts to Tennessee later that year.

Judge Saylor also did not dismiss the case against Witmer Public Safety Group, which does business under the name Interstate Arms.

Lawyers for the gun companies argued that they were legally protected from these kinds of lawsuits. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, signed into law in 2005, shields gunmakers from legal liability if an end-user commits violence with one of their firearms.

Case Background

The lawsuit dates back to August of 2021. That month, lawyers for Mexico sued the six US-based gun manufacturers named in the case. Mexico’s representatives say that half a million guns illegally reach Mexico each year, with nearly 70% of them being made by the companies named in the lawsuit.

In addition, the lawsuit also targeted Witmer Public Safety Group, operating under the name Interstate Arms. The company is a Massachusetts-based firearm wholesaler.

In the lawsuit, Mexico’s lawyers accused the manufacturers of contributing to gang violence south of the border.

This is the second time that this case has been dismissed. The first time was in 2022, but Mexico’s lawyers appealed the decision. The First Court of Appeals sent the case back to the lower court to reconsider its decision.

The Big Picture

Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said that the country isn’t taking this ruling sitting down. Attorneys for our southern neighbor said that they were considering appealing this decision to a higher court.

Readers should also note that Judge Saylor’s decision only protected the six gun manufacturers – not the wholesaler Interstate Arms. As a result, Mexico’s attorneys will continue pursuing their case against the distributor.

For now, though, Mexico’s lawyers won’t be able to sue the American firearm industry out of existence. That’s good news for all gun owners.