A Mexican mayor and 17 others have been shot dead in an attack linked to a drug cartel.
C. Rubini CTC, Vatican News
The attack comes as the Mexican government vows to bring a second gun lawsuit within the United States, this time against gun dealers, after the first lawsuit targeting gun manufacturers failed.
At least 18 people were killed when gunmen opened fire at the city hall in San Miguel Totolapan, southern Mexico. Town mayor Conrado Mendoza and his father were among those killed in Wednesday’s shooting.
Local sources said the gunmen launched a series of coordinated attacks inside the building with the aim of killing the mayor. She said the assailants were believed to be members of Los Tequileros, a criminal gang linked to powerful drug cartels.
case
Meanwhile, the government has announced that it will file a new lawsuit in the United States seeking responsibility for the cross-border flow of firearms.
More than 70 percent of firearms smuggled into Mexico come from the United States. With this dwindling gun power, armed drug gangs and their henchmen often outgun the Mexican police and even the armed forces.
drug war
Mexico’s drug war, which has been going on for more than sixteen years, has claimed nearly a quarter of a million lives. That is why the Mexican government is so determined.
This new move comes from Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. He explained this in his speech in the Mexican Senate. This time, he’s targeting gun dealers. Especially gun dealers in US border states. The new lawsuit is being filed in Arizona, right across the border.
The case focuses on smugglers, who often collect small amounts of contraband semi-automatic firearms from clients and then illegally sell them for Mexican crime gangs, making huge savings.
Mexico is seeking $10 billion in damages for the harm caused by firearms made by gun manufacturers falling into the hands of criminals. Mexico accuses the United States of protecting gun manufacturers. But it remains to be seen whether the legal loopholes can target gun shops and those who buy them illegally.
Mexico has very strict laws preventing citizens from owning a firearm for self-defense. It is therefore an irony that Mexican gangs have an unlimited supply of weapons and ammunition to conduct an unrelenting nationwide reign of terror.