The US Supreme Court has blocked a lawsuit brought by Mexico that sought to hold American gunmakers accountable for playing a role in country's struggle with drug cartels.
The court voted 9-0 to reject the suit, in the process upholding a 2005 law that shields gun manufacturers from liability if weapons they produce are misused.
Mexico's government had argued that the "flood" of illegal guns across the border is a result of "deliberate" practices by US firms that they say appealed to cartel members with their products.
The decision overturns a lower court's ruling that allowed the suit, brought against Smith & Wesson as well as other manufacturers, to proceed.