(Reuters) – Thirteen U.S. states and two Latin America and Caribbean nations on Monday threw their support behind a lawsuit from Mexico that accuses several major U.S. gun makers of facilitating the trafficking of weapons to drug cartels, leading to thousands of deaths.
The states and the countries of Antigua and Barbuda and Belize filed separate briefs urging a federal judge in Boston to not dismiss Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against companies including Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co.
The companies have argued Mexico has failed to establish its harms were attributable to them and that a U.S. law, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, protected gun makers from lawsuits over their products’ misuse.
Mexico’s lawyers in a filing on Monday countered that the law only precludes lawsuits over injuries that occur in the United States and would not shield the companies from allegations over the trafficking of guns to Mexican criminals.
Democratic attorneys general from 13 states including Massachusetts, California and New York along with the District of Columbia agreed, saying even if that law applied extraterritorially, the statute would not bar Mexico’s claims.
Representatives for the companies did not respond to requests for comment. Other defendants include Beretta USA, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Colt’s Manufacturing Co and Glock Inc.
In a lawsuit filed in August, Mexico claimed the companies undermined its strict gun laws by designing, marketing and distributing military-style assault weapons in ways they knew would arm drug cartels, fueling murders, extortions and kidnappings.
Mexico’s lawsuit said over 500,000 guns are trafficked annually from the United States into Mexico, of which more than 68% are made by the manufacturers it sued.
Lawyers for Antigua and Barbuda and Belize argued countries in their region had likewise faced violent gun crimes and that U.S. gun manufacturers “must not be permitted to hold hostage the law-abiding citizens of an entire region of the world.”
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Good!
This is supreme idiocy. This is in reality a failure of governments to control the criminal elements within their countries. They are blaming the product and not the individuals responsible for the misuse of the product. That’s like blaming the hammer for smashing your finger and not yourself for your own carelessness. What’s next… Suing car makers for your car crash?
SUPREME IDIOCY? …DIPLOMATIC GOATS?
Like this darn phraseology -‘…SUPREME IDIOCY.’
Never knew the ‘…Caribbean’ has a few ‘…Diplomatic Goats’ on the United Nation.
They should be suing the main ones responsible for WEAPONS manufacturing, the GOVERNMENTS who design wars which require weaponry.
Lest we forget, the streets where these Cartels distribute their products are designed and managed by GOVERNMENTS who create #War #Zones in their own neighborhoods, therefore, guns will be in DEMAND in these neighborhoods, and through the ‘supply and demand’ principle, the same weapons/gun manufactures supply their products wherever, they are needed.
The best they’ll get from this lawsuit is similar to what happened with the Tobacco Industry in America.
Questions are the gun manufactures in China, Russia, Europe and ISRAEL being targeted in this lawsuit, as well?
They should be suing the main ones responsible for WEAPONS manufacturing, the GOVERNMENTS who design wars which require weaponry.
Lest we forget, the streets where these Cartels distribute their products are designed and managed by GOVERNMENTS who create #War #Zones in their own neighborhoods, therefore, guns will be in DEMAND in these neighborhoods, and through the ‘supply and demand’ principle, the same weapons/gun manufactures supply their products wherever, they are needed.
The best they’ll get from this lawsuit is similar to what happened with the Tobacco Industry in America.
Questions are the gun manufactures in China, Russia, Europe and ISRAEL being targeted in this lawsuit, as well?
Hey ANR – what became of Makeda Michael’s last piece on the Youths Vote..:
You make some good points here Ras Smood.
Re: Questions are the gun manufactures in China, Russia, Europe and ISRAEL being targeted in this lawsuit, as well?
Well no… IMO, they are targeting the USA because if America goes down the rest of the world will quickly follow.
@ANGEL…thank you! I stay #real and #true to my Sense of Purpose just like you do, regardless.
The most the #System could do is physically(kill my body) remove me from this realm, however, the Omnipotence which permeates #ALL #REALMS is my guide, shield, protector and provider, therefore, until such time as the Omnipotence ports my Spirit to another realm to do thy #works, there’s nothing or no one which scares me. Not even #DEATH, since, “no where bodily, is everywhere spiritually.”
These Governments are ‘faking da funk!’
😀👍👍
God’s peace and protection remain upon you….
May we all start our day today with a PEACEFUL mind, a JOYFUL heart and with a LOVING relationship to the world around us. At the start of this new day we have an opportunity to create a new reality, so let us IMAGINE the world in which we would really like to live.
“Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places”.
@ANGEL…while “America” has the power and influence Worldwide, that it’s always looked at, to, as the example of World dominance, the CHINESE are the ones we in the Caribbean MUST be paying keen attention to with their Forts/Embassies and manufacturing facilities from guns to drugs!
Yup… I totally agree.
Gaston Browne always trying to beg money any how any way. His well connected people bring guns here into Antigua after handing money to him under the table.
Backstabbing Gaston Browne can’t be trust. After all he went and back stabbed me. I voting for anyone other than Labour
Gassy is really like a prostitute who ever pays the most and ALWAYS looking for a easy dollar .
Lol last week wasn’t you just begging for my tax dollars to give your thiefing ass and with the same breath not allowing others like me who works for the same money that you salivating for, entry to our land of birth.
Word of advice it’s probably already in the garbage bin .
Always jumping on a law suits looking for money . You’re very ingenuitive at enrichment ways for you and your family but a horrible 🤠 Pimp go kick rocks .
How about suing the drug companies for their toxic “vaccines”, like that 13 year old girl that’s on a feeding tube as a result of Pfizer’s trials?
Anyway this is just to distract from the real issue, that the cartels’ business is booming because of resident biden and cackling kamala’s failure to secure the border.
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