More detail on the Mexican Government vs US gunmakers lawsuit.
Last edited Mon Aug 9, 2021, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)
It is a long shot in the courts but there's more at stake than just the gun lawsuit. It's also a diplomatic issue.
Mexico has very strict gun control and issues perhaps 50 permits to purchase a year. The lawsuit alleges more than 200,000 illegal guns have been sold into the country and that US gun makers are tailoring their marketing to drug cartels. Funny how that marketing thing keeps cropping up isn't it? As evidence of the intentional marketing to cartels the Mexican Government cites the limited edition Emiliano Zapata gold plated .38 1911 inscribed with Zapata's quote "It's better to die standing than to live on your knees." The gun is a status symbol among cartel leaders. Detractors claim Mexico is part of the problem being the largest importer of US guns for police and military use and having lax controls on them. Seems Mexico 'lost' about 1,700 guns over two years. 1,700 vs 200,000? Looks like a red herring to me.
As an example of US guns used by cartels an assassination attempt on a Mexico City police chief included: three Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles*, a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and 5.56mm caliber carbine, a Ruger 5.56mm caliber rifle and a Colt 5.56mm caliber carbine. All traceable to the US. In fact up to 90% of recovered crime guns are from the US.
Mexico is seeking $10 billion in damages for economic loss but the stakes are higher. The suit is used as leverage against the DEA and the US war on drugs. As pressure is put on the Mexican Government to stop the flow of drugs into the US, Mexico is responding with pressure to stop the gun flow into their country. Sounds reasonable to me.
This is from an NPR article. Not that long but doesn't lend itself to cut-n-paste. It is well worth the read.
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/07/1025636092/mexico-lawsuit-united-states-gun-companies-analysis
*The Barret .50 cal sniper rifle fires a bullet about the size of an adult thumb at speeds approaching 4000 feet per second. It's accuracy is measured in miles but the real attraction is that it will penetrate most armored vehicles, brick walls, any vehicle's engine block and is an 'if you can see it you can kill it' kind of gun. If you can pass a background check you can buy one from any licensed gun dealer over the counter. I ask again, What the fuck is wrong with us?
edit: I will no longer respond to any reply to this post. The gunners are trying for another lock and I won't give it to them.
= new reply since forum marked as read
...maybe they should step up car & truck searches at the border, I doubt the firearms flew in from the US.
It's just a Red Herring anyway, if zero firearms crossed the border it's not like they couldn't pick them up by the crateful at weapons bazaars in Africa, Middle East & Central Asia. These guys are professional smugglers with cash to burn.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's World Drug Report 2005 estimates the size of the global illicit drug market at US$321.6 billion in 2003 alone. I doubt it has gone down since then.
