In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 Thursday that the government of Mexico cannot hold American gun manufacturers accountable for criminal activity. More specifically, cartel violence south of the border.
"The Government of Mexico sued seven American gun manufacturers, alleging that the companies aided and abetted unlawful gun sales that routed firearms to Mexican drug cartels," the order states. "Mexico focuses on production of 'military style' assault weapons, but these products are widely legal and purchased by ordinary consumers. Manufacturers cannot be charged with assisting criminal acts simply because Mexican cartel members also prefer these guns. The same applies to firearms with Spanish language names or graphics alluding to Mexican history—while they may be 'coveted by the cartels,' they also may appeal to 'millions of law-abiding Hispanic Americans.' Even the failure to make guns with non-defaceable serial numbers cannot show that manufacturers have 'joined both mind and hand' with lawbreakers in the manner required for aiding and abetting."
🚨 HUGE LEGAL WIN: In a unanimous 9-0 decision, SCOTUS rules that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act bars the Mexican government's lawsuit against American firearm manufacturers.
— NRA (@NRA) June 5, 2025
➡️ https://t.co/dF6nr6dnHw pic.twitter.com/aHrf3SgAmz
"Because Mexico’s complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant gun manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers’ unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers, PLCAA [The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act] bars the lawsuit," it continues. "Congress enacted PLCAA to halt lawsuits attempting to make gun manufacturers pay for harms resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms. Mexico’s suit closely resembles those lawsuits. The Court doubts Congress intended to draft such a capacious way out of PLCAA, and in fact it did not."
The Supreme Court has thrown out Mexico’s bad faith lawsuit which sought billions in damages from its own cartel violence problem, from firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson. SAF filed an important Amicus Brief in this case which clearly outlined the grave threat lawsuits like this… pic.twitter.com/2B9qYWbBjc
— SAF (@2AFDN) June 5, 2025
Even the liberal, gun control-prone Justices shot down Mexico's argument.
“This is a tremendous victory for the firearm industry and the rule of law. For too long, gun control activists have attempted to twist basic tort law to malign the highly-regulated U.S. firearm industry with the criminal actions of violent organized crime, both here in the United States and abroad,” National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President Lawrence Keane said in response to the ruling. “The firearm industry is sympathetic to plight of those in Mexico who are victims of rampant and uncontrolled violence at the hands of narco-terrorist drug cartels. The firearm industry works closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to prevent the illegal straw purchasing of firearms and the illegal transnational smuggling of firearms. This unequivocal decision by the Supreme Court that PLCAA applies and there is no evidence whatsoever that U.S. manufacturers are in any way responsible is verification of commitment to responsible firearm ownership.”
I love that SCOTUS unanimously told the corrupt Mexican government to get lost. Great day for the Second Amendment.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 5, 2025
Editor's Note: The Supreme Court has just protected the Second Amendment rights of every American by shutting down gun control lawfare from foreign countries. Mexico can get lost.
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