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Mexico Sues Arizona Gun Stores, Smith & Wesson Over 'Iron River' of Guns to Cartels

Dec 23, 2024, 11:29 AM

Mexico is taking legal action against the U.S. gun industry, filing lawsuits against five U.S. gun stores in Arizona and gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, claiming their business practices contribute to cartel violence. The Mexican government argues that an estimated 200,000 to half a million U.S. firearms are smuggled into Mexico annually via what is known as the 'iron river', exacerbating the country's gun violence problem. Mexico's strict gun laws, which allow only one gun store located on a military base with stringent purchase requirements, contrast sharply with the U.S., where there are over 75,000 gun dealers. The lawsuits aim to curb the flow of American guns to Mexican cartels, which are responsible for much of the violence in Mexico. Mexico's former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has stated that 75% of the high-caliber guns confiscated during his term were from the U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lowy, who is co-counsel in Mexico's case, has been instrumental in devising strategies to cut off this gun pipeline. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has traced many of these guns back to U.S. dealers, with former ATF attaché Tim Sloan highlighting the role of 'straw purchasers' in this trafficking. One of the gun dealers named in the lawsuit is Ammo AZ, owned by Veerachart 'Danger' Murphy. The lawsuits were spearheaded by Mexican attorney Alejandro Celorio, who believes the named dealers are liable for facilitating arms trafficking to the cartels.