The Mexican government is suing top U.S. gun companies for allegedly powering and profiting off of bloodshed south of the border.

It’s an unprecedented lawsuit that some security experts say could slow gun violence across the Americas if it’s successful.

With only one gun store in the country and fewer than 50 gun permits granted a year, Mexico has some of the strictest gun laws in the world.

Between 70% and 90% of guns found at crime scenes in Mexico come from the U.S. Last year, the Mexican government filed a lawsuit against several U.S. gun companies, accusing them of knowingly flooding the country with illicit firearms.

One University of San Diego study found that 47% of licensed gun dealers in the U.S. would go out of business without Mexico’s demand for trafficked guns.

Click the arrow above to watch Los Angeles Times opinion columnist Jean Guerrero explain the lawsuit.

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