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California Attorney General Rob Bonta took steps today to hold gun manufacturers accountable for their contributions to gun violence in Mexico. Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting the Mexican government’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Ruger, Glock, Century Arms, Barrett, and Colt; as well as gun distributor Interstate Arms. According to a 2020 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates that 70% of the firearms recovered in Mexico from 2014 through 2018 originated in the United States. In today’s brief, the attorneys general oppose the defendants’ motion to dismiss the suit and argue that the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) does not shield the companies from accountability.
Last August, the Mexican government filed a lawsuit against eight gun manufacturers and distributors alleging the companies have been fully aware that their firearms are being trafficked into the country and that they have a duty to ensure their products are used safely. In November, the defendants asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to dismiss Mexico’s claim.
In filing today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta joined the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon, as well as the District of Columbia.