AFP
News from the NOS•today, 04:11
Mexico has indicted five US arms dealers for their role in deadly gang violence in the country. The country accuses them of being involved in illegal arms trafficking, which ultimately end up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels.
According to Mexico, the traders, who all hail from the state of Arizona, are negligent in selling firearms to intermediaries Mexico believes were clearly involved in the cartels.
“We are suing them because there is a clear pattern of arms smuggling where weapons are known to go to our country,” Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrard told AP news agency. The weapons used in the shootings in Mexico are said to be directly related to the accused drug dealers.
Mexico is asking for $ 10 billion
The country has long been agitated against the role played by US weapons in the bloody violence that has plagued the country for years. Mexico estimates that 70 percent of the smuggled weapons smuggled into the country come from the United States. In 2019 alone, at least 17,000 people were shot dead with contraband weapons in Mexico.
The case against arms traffickers follows an earlier indictment by Mexico against major American arms manufacturers such as Glock, Beretta and Smith & Wesson. In that case, the country asked companies for no less than 10 billion dollars.
The charges were dismissed by a federal judge late last month, but Mexico plans to appeal and says it is willing to take the case to the Supreme Court.
