Most Firearm Entering Mexico Come from the US: Attorney General

Mexico’s Attorney General Alejandro Gertz accused the United States of enabling weapons trafficking, following a report from the US Department of Justice revealing that 200,000 firearms enter Mexico annually, with 74% of these weapons originating from the United States.

Gertz argues that the US Department of Justice’s report confirms Mexico’s ongoing concerns about the influx of high-caliber weapons. “The US government officially acknowledges that 74% of these lethal weapons — causing significant harm to our nation — originate from its borders. It is an issue of the utmost gravity, emphasizing the need for a cooperative and proactive relationship with the United States to confront this challenge,” says Gertz.

Despite these findings, Gertz says that Mexico faces systemic obstacles in tracing these weapons within the United States due to outdated control systems delaying responses to Mexico’s requests by months. President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed to make the issue a priority in discussions with incoming US president Donald Trump. “Just as the United States is deeply concerned about narcotics entering its territory from Mexico, we are equally focused on addressing the flow of firearms from the United States into Mexico,” says Sheinbaum.

In 2021, Mexico sued US gun manufacturers for enabling the illegal trafficking of firearms into the country, contributing to violence and over 350,000 murders. Mexico clarified that it did not challenge US citizens' right to bear arms but aimed to address the lack of regulation leading to illegal arms sales. While the lawsuit was initially dismissed in 2022, Mexico appealed in March 2023 and also pursued a separate case in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on arms trafficking.

In 2024, US District Judge Dennis Saylor dismissed six of the eight claims against US gun manufacturers accused of facilitating the trafficking of firearms to drug cartels, citing jurisdictional issues. The companies dismissed were Barrett Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing, Century International Arms, Beretta USA, Sturm Ruger, and Glock, with the judge stating that Mexico had not demonstrated a direct connection between the companies’ firearms and harm caused in Mexico. The case remains active against Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms.