U.S. judge cancels hearing on Mexican suit against gun-makers, Mexico says

Sturm, Ruger & Company

27/08/2023 03:01

MEXICO CITY, Aug 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has
canceled a hearing on a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico
seeking to hold U.S. gun manufacturers responsible for
facilitating arms trafficking to drug cartels, Mexico's foreign
ministry said on Saturday.
    The ministry, which has been urging a U.S. appeals court to
revive the case, said that the hearing, due to take place on
Monday, had been canceled last Thursday.
    "The judge assigned to the case, Cindy Jorgenson, issued an
order canceling the hearing in which she only stated that she is
considering excusing herself from hearing the present
litigation," the ministry said.
    The judge and U.S. court officials were not immediately
available for comment.
    Seven in 10 crime guns recovered and traced in Mexico come
from the United States, according to U.S. gun control agency
ATF. This level nears 80% across the Caribbean, where many
countries have backed the Mexican lawsuit.
    The Mexican and U.S. governments have recently agreed to
boost controls against arms trafficking through an electronic
tracking program for weapons seized from criminal groups, but
neither has offered details on the plan.

 (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; writing by Sarah Morland; editing
by Robert Birsel)
 ((sarah.morland@thomsonreuters.com;))