SPIRALING VIOLENCE
Mexico says that between 200,000 and 750,000 weapons manufactured by US gunmakers are smuggled throughout the border from the USA yearly, lots of that are discovered at crime scenes.
Final August, a US choose dismissed a US$10 billion lawsuit introduced by the Mexican authorities in opposition to six gun producers based mostly in the USA that sought to carry them liable for deaths from weapons trafficked into Mexico.
The go well with was thrown out based mostly on an absence of jurisdiction, although Mexico mentioned on the time that its lawsuit in opposition to two producers, Smith and Wesson and Interstate Arms, would proceed.
One other go well with introduced within the border state of Arizona seeks sanctions in opposition to sellers that bought weapons which had been utilized in severe crimes over the border.
Mexico tightly controls firearm gross sales, making them virtually unimaginable to acquire legally.
Even so, drug-related violence has seen round 480,000 individuals killed in Mexico for the reason that authorities deployed the military to fight trafficking in 2006, based on official figures.
