• The hearing will be held on February 22, 2024.
  • The new judge asked for additional information, which confirms the seriousness and importance of Mexico’s case.

Today, with regard to the lawsuit filed by Mexico against gun dealers in the United States, whose business practices facilitate arms trafficking into Mexico, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona set February 22, 2024 as the date for the hearing to present oral arguments.

As reported previously, Judge Cindy Jorgenson excused herself from hearing the case and canceled the hearing originally scheduled for August 28, 2023. The case was then reassigned to Judge Rosemary Marquez, who was appointed to the position in 2014 by then President Barack Obama.

In addition, in accordance with U.S. litigation practice, the Court requested the various parties to provide information in advance of the hearing, including a proposed procedural schedule and the manner in which the parties should exhibit and disclose their discovery material. This request reflects Judge Marquez's deep interest in conducting a thorough analysis of the matter, which confirms the seriousness and importance of the case.

The lawsuit was filed in August 2022 against: 1. Diamondback Shooting Sports, Inc. (Tucson); 2. SNG Tactical, LLC (Tucson); 3. Loan Prairie, LLC a.k.a. The Hub Target Sports (Tucson); 4. Ammo A-Z, LLC (Phoenix); 5. Sprague's Sports, INC. (Yuma). According to traceability data, these stores routinely supply high-powered weapons to criminal organizations in Mexico. Traceability refers to how authorities track the origin of the gun once it has been seized.

This is Mexico's second lawsuit against actors in the gun industry. The first was filed in Boston in 2021 against U.S. manufacturers and distributors, and is currently under appeal. While the Boston lawsuit challenges the broader responsibility of the companies that manufacture and distribute firearms that facilitate their illicit trafficking into Mexico, the second lawsuit addresses a specific aspect of the issue: negligence at the points of sale of firearms.