Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned US gun manufacturers about potential legal action. She stated that they could face charges as accomplices of organized crime if Washington designates Mexican cartels as terrorist groups. Her statement came as former US President Donald Trump increased pressure on Mexico to stop drug smuggling.

Meanwhile, Mexico has been urging the US to crack down on illegal firearm trafficking. Speaking at a press conference, Sheinbaum said, “If they declare these criminal groups as terrorists, then we’ll have to expand our US lawsuit.” Furthermore, she suggested that new charges could accuse gunmakers of supporting terror groups. “The lawyers are looking at it, but they could be accomplices,” she warned.

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Moreover, she emphasized that even the US Department of Justice acknowledges that “74 per cent of the weapons” used by criminals in Mexico come from the US.

US Plans to Label Cartels as Terrorist Groups

Sheinbaum’s warning came shortly after The New York Times reported on US plans to designate criminal groups from Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, and Venezuela as terrorist organizations. The proposed list includes Mexico’s two most powerful drug cartels—the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.

As a result, the crackdown on these cartels has intensified. Trump signed an executive order on January 20, creating a process for the designation. According to the order, cartels pose a major national security threat beyond traditional organized crime.

At the same time, Mexico argues that between 200,000 and 750,000 US-made firearms are smuggled across the border annually. Consequently, many of these weapons later appear at crime scenes.

Mexico’s Legal Battle Against US Gunmakers

Previously, Mexico filed a $10 billion lawsuit against six US gun manufacturers, blaming them for gun-related violence. However, a US judge dismissed the case, citing a lack of jurisdiction. Nevertheless, Mexico continued its legal battle against two companies—Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms.

In addition, Mexico has filed a separate lawsuit in Arizona against gun dealers accused of supplying weapons used in violent crimes. The country strictly regulates firearm sales, making legal purchases nearly impossible. Despite these efforts, drug-related violence has killed approximately 480,000 people since the government deployed the army to fight cartels in 2006.

Sheinbaum Rejects US Allegations of Ties with Cartels

Earlier this month, Sheinbaum strongly denied accusations from the Trump administration that her government is collaborating with drug cartels. Expressing her frustration on social media platform X, she wrote, “We categorically reject the slander made by the White House against the Mexican government about alliances with criminal organizations.”

Furthermore, she shifted the blame toward the US gun industry. “If there is such an alliance anywhere, it is in the US gun shops that sell high-powered weapons to these criminal groups,” she added.