Mexico Campaigns To Fight Arms Trafficking

Mexico has once again denounced the trafficking of firearms, calling for better international measures to reduce their availability and to hold accountable manufacturers and distributors that fail to keep track of their weapons.

At the UN General Assembly, Mexico's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena, stressed that although there are international commitments to fight firearms trafficking, efforts are limited if the countries of manufacture and origin do not keep track of who buys the weapons and where they are. Therefore, Bárcena advocated strengthening international measures to reduce the widespread availability of firearms. She also stressed that arms trafficking is an urgent matter, as they are mainly used by organized crime. "I call on manufacturers and distributors to assume their responsibility and take diligent measures to prevent them from falling into the illicit market," says Bárcena.

On Aug. 4, 2021 the Mexican government announced it was suing several US manufacturers:  Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Glock and Ruger for promoting access to high-powered weapons without having strict regulations. According to the lawsuit, over 500,000 firearms are trafficked annually from the US to Mexico, of which more than 68% come from these companies.

The Mexican government argued that the lack of regulation contributes to illegal arms trafficking in Mexico, linked to massacres and violent incidents. According to the government, cross-border gun smuggling has been responsible for more than 350,000 murders, most of them carried out by organized crime.

Mexican authorities stressed they respect the rights and freedom of US citizens and therefore it does not question the right to bear arms or sell weapons, but rather the lack of gun control that has caused harm to thousands of Mexicans. As a consequence, Mexican authorities were seeking US$10 billion in damages and that US arms manufacturers "develop and implement reasonable and verifiable standards to monitor and, where appropriate, discipline their distributors."

The lawsuit’s main argument is that these companies know that their weapons are being trafficked and used in illicit activities and, despite this, the companies promote their sale and allow buyers to acquire weapons without verifying their background. The National Shooting Sports Foundation Inc (NSSF) rejected Mexico's claims, saying that "the government is responsible for rampant crime and corruption within its own borders."

In September 2022, the US judge assigned to the case, Cindy Jorgenson, dismissed the case. However, in March 2023, Mexican authorities appealed the ruling.