US judge tosses much of Mexico’s lawsuit against US gun makers

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Wednesday dismissed much of Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit seeking to hold U.S. gun manufacturers responsible for facilitating the trafficking of firearms to violent drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. District Judge Dennis Saylor in Boston dismissed claims against six of the eight companies Mexico had sued in 2021, including Sturm, Ruger and Glock, citing jurisdictional problems.

He called the companies’ connection to Massachusetts “gossamer-thin at best.” None of the six were incorporated in the state, and Saylor said Mexico had not shown that any firearms sold specifically in Massachusetts had caused it any harm.

While Mexico argued that statistically it was likely that some firearms sold in Massachusetts were eventually illegally trafficked to Mexico, Saylor said the country lacked sufficient evidence to prove a jurisdictional nexus.

Other companies he dismissed claims against included Barrett Firearms Manufacturing; Colt’s Manufacturing Company; Century International Arms; and Beretta USA. Representatives for the gun industry and Mexico did not respond to requests for comment.