Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen celebrated a major legal victory for American gun manufacturers and Second Amendment advocates on Thursday after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Mexican government against several U.S. firearms companies.
The case, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., et al. v. Mexico, centered on Mexico’s attempt to hold U.S. gunmakers legally responsible for gun violence within its borders, arguing that manufacturers knowingly allowed their products to be trafficked illegally into Mexico. The Supreme Court rejected that claim, reaffirming that American firearms companies cannot be held liable for the criminal misuse of their products.
“This is a win for gun manufacturers and gun owners across the country,” said Attorney General Knudsen in a statement following the decision. “The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act makes it clear – American firearms manufacturers should not and do not have to answer for the actions of criminals. Today, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed. Mexico’s dangerous gun policies are to blame for their own gun violence crisis, not American gun manufacturers following the law.”
The high court’s ruling upheld the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), a 2005 federal law that shields firearms manufacturers and dealers from liability when their legally sold products are later used in criminal acts. Congress passed the law to reinforce Second Amendment protections while preventing what supporters say would be unjust legal attacks on law-abiding companies.
Mexico’s government had argued that the PLCAA should not shield American companies from civil liability when they market and distribute firearms in ways that allegedly enable illicit trafficking. A lower court initially dismissed Mexico’s claims, but the First Circuit Court of Appeals revived the lawsuit in 2023, prompting manufacturers to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Attorney General Knudsen played a leading role in defending the firearms industry throughout the case, organizing and filing amicus briefs at nearly every stage. In December 2024, he led a coalition of 28 states urging the Supreme Court to reverse the appellate court’s decision and protect American courts from being used by foreign governments to undermine U.S. gun rights.
“This case had dangerous implications not just for manufacturers but for every American’s right to bear arms,” Knudsen said. “If Mexico had prevailed, it would have opened the floodgates for foreign governments to use our courts to erode constitutional rights.”
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision now ensures that U.S. firearms manufacturers remain protected under federal law from foreign-based liability claims, reinforcing the legal boundary between gun crimes and lawful commerce.
By: DNU staff