U.S. Court Will Hear Mexican Suit Against Gun Manufacturers

A U.S. federal court will hear litigation against U.S. gun manufacturers filed by the Mexican government earlier this month.

Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced on Twitter on Friday that a federal court in Massachusetts has agreed to hear the country’s lawsuit.

The Mexican government claims that the negligent practices of several U.S. gun manufacturers have allowed the illegal flow of weapons to drug cartels in Mexico.

Many see the suit as a longshot. But Ebrard called the court’s decision to hear the case the first "big step forward."

He has emphasized that it is not against the U.S. government nor it’s laws. Instead, it’s meant to change the practices of U.S. gunmakers and reduce violent crime in Mexico.

Last year alone, nearly 35,000 people were murdered across the country.