Mexican officials argued today at the U.S. Supreme Court that American gunmakers should be held liable for cartel violence in their country.

Mexico was seeking billions of dollars from several major U.S. firearm manufacturers and one gun wholesaler in an effort to be reimbursed for costs related to gun violence.

Stephanie Sy has more.

The Mexican government estimates that 200,000 firearms are smuggled into the country

from the United States each year, and the vast majority of guns found at Mexican crime scenes

come from the U.S. Mexico argues that American gun manufacturers are

aiding illegal sales to Mexican criminals, and it claims cartel violence is directly connected

to those sales. A 2005 law generally shields firearms manufacturers and others along the supply chain

from civil liability. But

Mexico was trying to argue for an exception. Joining me now to discuss the suit and today's

Supreme Court hearing is Chip Brownlee. He's a reporter with the trace, a non-profit news

organization that covers gun violence. Chip, I'm sure you listened to the arguments this morning.

Even the typically liberal justices did not seem convinced by the Mexican government's

arguments against Smith and Wesson.

And NewsHour's Supreme Court analyst, Marcia Coyle, told me that the majority of justices

seemed skeptical that there was a direct connection

between the gun manufacturers and the injury Mexico claimed. Why did they seem to face such an uphill

battle? So one part about the protection of lawful commerce and arms act is that it requires,

you know, for there to be an exception for someone to sue, you know, for there to be an exception, for someone to sue,

you know, a defendant in the gun industry, they have to prove that the defendant violated a state

or federal law and that their violation of the law was the proximate or a close cause to a harm

that has been alleged.

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