WASHINGTON >> The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether Mexico may sue gun manufacturers in the United States for aiding in the trafficking of weapons used by drug cartels.

Mexico sued seven gun-makers and one distributor in 2021, blaming them for rampant violence caused by illegal gun trafficking from the United States spurred by the demand of Mexican drug cartels for weapons.

Mexico has strict gun control laws that it says make it virtually impossible for criminals to obtain firearms legally. But gun violence is rampant.

The lawsuit, which seeks billions of dollars in damages, said that 70% to 90% of the guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico came from the United States.

U.S. District Judge Dennis F. Saylor in Boston dismissed Mexico’s lawsuit, saying it was barred by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

— The New York Times