Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Mexico

Smith & Wesson v. Mexico
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued March 4, 2025 Decided June 5, 2025
Full case name	Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc., Beretta U.S.A. Corp, Glock, Inc., Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc., Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc., d/b/a Interstate Arms, Century International Arms, Inc., and Colt’s Manufacturing Company, LLC v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Docket no.	23-1141
Argument	Oral argument
Decision	Opinion
Case history
Prior	Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Mexico v. Smith & Wesson
Questions presented
1. Whether production/sale of firearms in the US is the "proximate cause" of alleged injuries to the Mexican government from violence committed by Mexican drug cartels. 2. Whether the production/sale of firearms in the United States amounts to "aiding and abetting" illegal arms trafficking because firearms companies allegedly know that some of their products are unlawfully trafficked.
Holding
Because Mexico’s complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant gun manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers’ unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers, PLCAA bars the lawsuit.
Court membership
Chief Justice John Roberts Associate Justices Clarence Thomas  · Samuel Alito Sonia Sotomayor  · Elena Kagan Neil Gorsuch  · Brett Kavanaugh Amy Coney Barrett  · Ketanji Brown Jackson
Case opinions
Majority	Kagan, joined by unanimous
Concurrence	Thomas
Concurrence	Jackson
Laws applied
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, 605 U.S. ___(2025), is 2025 United States Supreme Court case in which the Court determined that domestic firearm manufacturers cannot be sued by foreign states, if not materially causing the importation of weapons, under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. ^[1] The case had been accepted by the court in late 2024. ^[2]

Background

See also: Smuggling of firearms into Mexico

Lower court history

In 2021, Mexico sued seven firearms manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson, Beretta, and Colt's Manufacturing Company, alleging that the companies have exacerbated the Mexican drug war. The US District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissed the case, but the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit sided with the Mexican government on appeal. ^[2]

Supreme Court

On October 4, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari to review the First Circuit's decision. ^[2] On March 4, 2025, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments with the justices largely agreeing with Noel Francisco's advocacy against holding firearms manufacturers liable for the violence committed by their customers in drug cartels. ^[3]

References

1. VanSickle, Abbie (2025-06-05). "Supreme Court Blocks Mexico's Suit Against U.S. Gun Makers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-06-05.
2. "Supreme Court takes new cases, including Mexican suit against U.S. gunmakers". The Washington Post .
3. Totenberg, Nina (4 March 2025). "At the Supreme Court, justices are skeptical of Mexico's arguments against gunmakers". NPR . Retrieved 2025-03-05.

External links

Text of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos is available from: Cornell Findlaw Justia Oyez (oral argument audio) Supreme Court (slip opinion)