- The Foreign Ministry’s Legal Advisor met in Washington D.C. with attorneys representing Mexico in its lawsuits against gun companies
- Preparation continues for the U.S. Supreme Court hearing
Pablo Arrocha, Legal Advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with Jonathan Lowy, President of Global Action Against Gun Violence, and attorney Steve Shadowen, Mexico's legal representatives in two lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers in the United States.
Following the instructions of Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente, the Legal Advisor traveled to Washington D.C. to also oversee the preparations for the hearing scheduled for March 4 at the U.S. Supreme Court, regarding the lawsuit filed by the Mexican government in a federal court in Massachusetts.
The Supreme Court will examine whether the defendant companies have immunity, even when their practices enable illegal gun trafficking into Mexican territory.
The team also discussed the legal proceedings in Arizona, which have progressed in Mexico's favor and entered the discovery phase.
As part of its comprehensive strategy against illegal gun trafficking, Mexico filed an initial lawsuit in Boston, Massachusetts against eight gun manufacturing and distribution companies in 2021. A year later, a second lawsuit was filed in Tucson, Arizona against five gun stores.
The ATF (U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) recently reported that an estimated 200,000 guns are trafficked illegally into Mexico each year from the United States. This trafficking results from the negligent business practices of manufacturers and sellers, who market their products despite knowing they will end up in the hands of organized crime.
The Mexican Government will continue to intensify its comprehensive strategy against illegal gun trafficking, pursuing all available legal channels at the national, regional and global level to reduce the influx of firearms that fuel violence in our country.
