On March 4, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court started working on Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, where Mexico has demanded $10 billion from American gunmakers like Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms.
The claim? These companies fuel cartel violence by enabling illegal firearms trafficking. Mexico highlights its grim reality—third globally in gun deaths despite having only one legal gun shop in the entire country, with 70% to 90% of crime guns traced to the U.S. The case hinges on the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which shields gunmakers from liability for criminal misuse. Early signs suggest the court leans toward Smith & Wesson, and for good reason—their business isn’t the cartels’ keeper.
Mexico argues that gunmakers like Smith & Wesson knowingly supply dealers tied to trafficking, pointing to marketing like Colt’s “Super El Jefe” revolver aimed at Mexican buyers. They want damages and sales reforms, claiming that billions lost to security and healthcare—2% of GDP—stem from lax oversight. The ATF traced over 20,000 U.S.-sourced guns from Mexican crime scenes in 2023, and Mexico insists this reflects a deliberate choice by manufacturers. But hold on—Smith & Wesson’s role ends at the legal point of sale. Cartels don’t waltz into U.S. stores; they exploit a chain of criminals beyond the factory gate.
Smith & Wesson’s defense, led by Noel Francisco, rests on the PLCAA’s clear intent: gunmakers aren’t liable for third-party crimes. Francisco’s analogy—suing Budweiser for drunk driving—hits the mark. Smith & Wesson crafts firearms for law-abiding Americans—hunters, sport shooters, homeowners—not narcos.
Their products leave warehouses legally; what happens after involves smugglers, straw buyers, and corrupt officials Mexico struggles to rein in. Holding Smith & Wesson accountable is like blaming Ford for a getaway car. The PLCAA carves out exceptions for knowing violations—like selling to felons—but Mexico’s evidence, lacking specific dealer transactions, falls short of proving intent.
The justices’ reactions seem to support this logic as well. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh flagged the slippery slope—could Mexico sue bat makers for bar fights? Even liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson questioned the PLCAA’s scope but didn’t buy Mexico’s leap from legal sales to cartel hands.
Justice Elena Kagan pressed Mexico’s Cate Stetson for hard links between Smith & Wesson and traffickers, finding vague claims instead. Stetson’s beer-to-teens analogy floundered—gunmakers don’t target cartels; they serve a U.S. market where Second Amendment rights thrive. The court sees Mexico’s cartel woes as too distant from Smith & Wesson’s lawful operations.
What makes all of this interesting is that it’s unfolding during a pretty tumultuous time amid U.S.-Mexico tensions—Trump’s March 4 tariffs and cartel terror label add heat to an already hot situation.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum threatens to escalate if trafficking persists, but targeting Smith & Wesson sidesteps her border security gaps. For U.S. gun owners, this case tests a bedrock principle: manufacturers aren’t cops or moral arbiters. Smith & Wesson supplies an American constitutional market—nearly 20 million guns sold legally in 2023 alone, per ATF data—not a black-market pipeline.
Mexico’s fight with the Cartel problem is real, but pinning it on a staple American gun company pursuing its mission to arm lawful citizens ignores the real culprits: smugglers and a porous frontier neither nation fully controls. The ruling, due by summer, should affirm that logic.
If you ask me, this lawsuit is so short of any plausible theory of liability that the lawyers filing it should be sanctioned.
The same democRat scum that did not stand for deserving individuals during POTUS DJT’s speech are the same kind of scum supporting the mexican clown show.
Expect nothing but insanity from sickos who wallow around in Gun Control an agenda History Confirms is Rooted in Racism and Genocide.
“with 70% to 90% of crime guns traced to the U.S.”
My understanding is that this is FALSE, that it is only 70-90% of traced guns which come from the US, and they only ask the US for trace info on guns which are obviously of US origin. I do not remember what percentage of guns are traced, but it was low. I’d like to say “10-20%” except that’s just a feeble reconstruction of “low”.
And a trace has no relevance to anything on any occasion.
You are correct.
The table of numbers is titled “recovered in Mexico and submitted to ATF for tracing”
Any firearm NOT submitted for tracing is not included in the data.
And depending on the timeframe used I do remember a lot of the American weapons traced 15 odd years ago ended up being surplus M16’s (A1 and AW) we sold or gave to various countries throughout South and Central America as well as Mexico. Not that we ever noticed similar issues from other countries doing weapons sales to governments in that region. The straw purchases being carried across the border was a later development as the cost of ARs came down and stayed down even with inflation.
Something else Mexico is not telling…of the guns supposedly from the U.S. used in crimes in Mexico – Mexico isn’t telling that most of them were guns that Mexico bought from U.S. companies for their federalies and military and they vanished from there to be later recovered at crime scenes in Mexico, this is why they trace back to U.S. origin. These were not ‘trafficked’ by smugglers or straw purchasers, the were purchased from U.S. companies by Mexico and given to their their federalies and military and they vanished from there to be later recovered at crime scenes in Mexico. The Mexican military in 2022-2023 could not account for over half of its firearms on inventory, and Mexican military members have been caught actually turning over Mexican military arms to the cartels.
IF all gats were sold legally at the border with Meh-he-Co the cartel er gubmint has NO case or standing. It’s no bueno! Reminds me of the bs Chuck’s Gun Shop in Riverdale,ILL annoy endured. They closed recently & “retired” but then the onslaught of lawsuits, ATF garbage & Fadda Pfleger(child predator) & Jesse Jackson PP played a huge part in their demise. I bought my 1St gat from them. They were extremely strict. Likewise Westforth gun shop in rural Gary,Indiana. They closed for good 18 months ago. Sued by Chiraq. Officially “retired”. They also were quite strict. Both shops had a large black clientele fwiw🙄
Tacos make me fart and
I wreck cars when I drink tequila.
I’m suing.
NO AMERICAN GUN MAKER SHOULD EVER SELL ANOTHER FIREARM TO THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT OR POLICE….THEY CAN USE REXIO REVOLVERS…
RE: “Both shops had a large black clientele fwiw🙄”
fwiw? Not much coming from a blowbag who said the aforementioned Gun Stores were Strict which means fwiw Black Gun Buyers who reside in “Chiraq” cleared NCIC and FOID. Keep it in mind, azzholes who have have f-up Illinois are white like you.
Sometimes I wake up grumpy but usually I just let her sleep.
“Chew your arm off and just slink away”
F Mexico, they need to get a handle on government corruption & the cartels. There’s something inherently wrong with any people that celebrate smugglers & drug dealers.
But it is a cultural tradition inherited from the Spanish system of patronage.
Remember that $20 Billion EPA ‘grant’ DOGE found went to a bank account, supposedly for NGO’s for ‘climate’ stuff – that was discovered when DOGE first started audits after Trump was inaugurated?
Well, it turns out: Top Biden officials in the Biden EPA knew their time was limited and they would probably be loosing their jobs when Trump got elected. So what they did was set up their own NGO’s (what are called pass-through NGO’s), gave their NGO’s grants, and through a shell company funded a bank account then modified the agreement with the EPA so the EPA could not recall the money. And these people through their NGO’s have been passing the money along to other pass-though NGO’s and Biden admin people and running a kick-back scheme. The DOJ and FBI are on it, is investigating, subpoenas have been issued.
Trump Begins CLOSING Dept of Education as Top Biden Officials CAUGHT in MAJOR KICKBACK SCHEME (the scheme part starts at about 8 minutes in the video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIejA9rKoHg
(note, basically: A pass-through NGO is an NGO that gets a grant then takes their share as ‘salary’ then ‘re-grants’ the money disguised as ‘donations’ or other things to other pass through NGO’s who repeat the process. Along the way, the people at the NGO’s take a cut of the money as ‘salary’ and pays off others. Its a massive money laundering and kick-back scheme.)
So you’re trying to say that there were shenanigans going on right under “The Big Guy” ‘s nose?
What are you going to spring on us next… Hunter’s not really a Talented Artist and his portfolio of crayon and dogshit abstracts weren’t worth the half billion that Burisma paid for them ??
Shocked beyond words I am.
Oversight Project investigation: Biden autopen signature used on ‘every document we could find’
The Oversight Project is questioning “who controlled the autopen” because “they controlled the presidency.”
Sue the ATF for walking the guns into Mexico.
Don’t need no stinking badges
flood mexico with guns — guns for the general populace — and let them defend themselves against the cartels (actual cartels and the enabling corrupt military/government). i think that things would get sorted out in short order, some collateral damage for sure, but thinking long-term, it would restore the peace and power to the public, where it should be if government fails in its primary purpose of securing the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.