Supreme Court rejects Mexico’s lawsuit against U.S. gun makers

The Supreme Court threw out the Mexican government's lawsuit against U.S. firearms manufacturers accusing them of aiding and abetting gun violence.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday threw out the Mexican government's lawsuit against U.S. firearms manufacturers accusing them of aiding and abetting gun violence.

The court ruled unanimously that the lawsuit is barred by a 2005 federal law that shields gun companies from legal liability.

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan, who wrote the opinion, acknowledged the gun violence problem, but said Mexico had failed to make allegations that would surmount those liability protections in claiming the companies aided and abetted the unlawful sale of guns.

"The question presented is whether Mexico's complaint plausibly pleads that conduct. We conclude it does not," she wrote.

The 2021 lawsuit accused Smith & Wesson, Colt and other companies of deliberately selling guns to dealers who sell products that are frequently recovered at Mexican crime scenes.