Supreme Court Blocks Mexico Lawsuit Against US Gun Manufacturers

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in June 2025 that Mexico cannot sue American gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson and others, for allegedly aiding illegal firearm sales to drug cartels under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The Court found that Mexico failed to demonstrate that the gun companies knowingly violated laws related to firearm sales or marketing, which would fall under the predicate exception to PLCAA's immunity protections. Mexico's lawsuit accused the manufacturers of negligence and designing guns to appeal to cartels, but the Court emphasized that gun companies sell to distributors, not directly to illegal traffickers, making it impossible to prove direct knowledge of illegal sales. Mexico condemned the ruling, highlighting that a majority of illegal guns seized in Mexico originate from the U.S., and vowed to continue fighting illicit arms trafficking through legal and diplomatic means. The Court's decision reaffirmed PLCAA's broad shield for gun manufacturers against civil liability for harms caused by third-party misuse of their products, marking a significant setback for Mexico's efforts to hold U.S. gun companies accountable for violence linked to drug cartels.