Gun Owners of America (GOA), alongside Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) and a nationwide coalition of Second Amendment advocates, is celebrating today’s 9-0 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting the Mexican government’s radical attempt to sue American gun manufacturers for cartel violence fueled by Mexico’s own failed disarmament policies.

The case, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, marked an unprecedented effort by a foreign government to hold lawful U.S. businesses liable for criminal acts committed entirely outside the United States. GOA previously filed an amicus brief urging the Court to dismiss the case as a dangerous affront to American sovereignty and gun rights.

In its unanimous opinion, the Court held that Mexico’s lawsuit “attempts an end-run around the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA),” and affirmed that American gun makers cannot be held liable for the criminal misuse of firearms by third parties—especially foreign cartels.

But buried in the ruling is what may be the most consequential Second Amendment dicta from the Court in years. Writing for the Court, Justice Kagan noted that Mexico specifically targeted “military style” assault weapons—such as AR-15s and AK-47s—and .50 caliber rifles, but emphasized that “those products are both widely legal and bought by many ordinary consumers.” The opinion further highlights that “the AR–15 is the most popular rifle in the country.”

This is a game-changing acknowledgment. For the first time in Supreme Court history, the justices have plainly stated what gun owners have always known: the AR-15 is in common use and legally protected. With Justice Kavanaugh already signaling the Court’s readiness to hear an AR-15 case, this dicta sends a clear message to lower courts and anti-gun states—bans on America’s most popular rifle are on borrowed time.

Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement: “This ruling is a powerful reminder that Americans don’t answer to globalists or foreign governments. Mexico’s gun control dystopia has empowered cartels and disarmed the innocent—and now they want to export that disaster to the U.S. The Supreme Court just told them: ‘Not on our soil.’”

Aidan Johnston, GOA’s Federal Affairs Director, issued the following statement: “This is a massive victory for the Second Amendment and American sovereignty. The Mexican government—whose citizens are disarmed and whose officials are often complicit in cartel crime—tried to scapegoat U.S. gun companies for its own failure to secure its borders and protect its people. GOA proudly filed an amicus brief defending our industry and our rights, and we’re grateful the Supreme Court saw through this baseless attempt to erode constitutional protections by foreign influence.”

GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization representing over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.