Marine Veteran Jailed in Mexico on Weapons Charges for Bringing Guns Across Border

[Jughead]

He simply missed an exit, and had no way of turning back. It could have happened to any one of us. I don't get how he can potentially get 6 to 25 years for simply missing an exit? He never used his guns on anyone. Mexico has some very serious problems with drug dealers, and here they are jailing an innocent person for simply missing an exit.

TIJUANA, Mexico – A Marine veteran jailed in Mexico on weapons charges for allegedly bringing guns across the border said he never intended to leave the country but missed an exit when heading to meet friends in a border town.

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, said he was headed to dinner in San Ysidro on March 31 when he mistakenly wound up at a border crossing point in Tijuana, U-T San Diego reported Sunday.

"I was going to call them after I drove off the exit, but I never got off the exit, I blew right past it," he told the newspaper in an interview from jail. "I wasn't paying attention, thinking I had way farther to go. I ended up in Mexico with no way to turn around."

He said Mexican authorities found three guns inside the truck he had recently driven from Florida to make a new start in San Diego. He was jailed, and is now being held in Tijuana's La Mesa Penitentiary without bail.

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter last week wrote a letter asking Secretary of State John Kerry to secure Tahmooressi's release. State Department officials said they were aware of an arrest of a U.S. citizen in Mexico, but they do not comment on arrests of private individuals without the person's permission.

Similar cases have occurred before. In 2008, an active-duty Army soldier was jailed in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, for driving into Mexico with guns, knives and ammunition. In 1999, a Marine was detained in Tijuana for two weeks after driving into Mexico with guns, the newspaper reported.

If Tahmooressi is convicted, he faces six to 21 years in a Mexican prison, his lawyers said, adding that alternatively the case could be dropped if the Mexican attorney general's office in Mexico City requests dismissal.

Marine Veteran Jailed in Mexico For Missing Exit and Bringing Guns Across Border

 

[Howey]

Why in the world are we letting a soldier with PTSD drive around the country with weapons?

And if he's innocent why did he try to escape and then kill himself in jail?
Andrew Tahmooressi, Decorated U.S. Marine From Weston, Is Now Jailed in Mexico | New Times Broward-Palm Beach

 

[Jughead]

Why in the world are we letting a soldier with PTSD drive around the country with weapons?

And if he's innocent why did he try to escape and then kill himself in jail?
Andrew Tahmooressi, Decorated U.S. Marine From Weston, Is Now Jailed in Mexico | New Times Broward-Palm Beach

PTSD does not disqualify one from owning weapons. Stress issues do not necessarily equate to having mental deficiencies. A court of law would need to determine that one is mentally unfit in order for the state to deny someone a carry permit.

As for why he tried to escape, if you were wrongfully arrested in a foreign country, and saw an opportunity to escape, wouldn't you consider it? I also don't buy that he tried to kill himself, it may have been an accident as he was in locked in solitary confinement at the time he allegedly stabbed himself.

 

[RandomVariable]

Weapons running to Mexico is a big and very profitable business. I am not saying this person in particular was doing so but if someone wanted to pick up a few extra hundred bucks this would be a good way to do it. He did have a good choice of guns.

 

[whitehall]

What happened to ATF officers and the freaking attorney general when their insane plan failed and they ended up shipping 3,000 illegal weapons to Mex. drug cartels? Nothin I guess.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Why in the world are we letting a soldier with PTSD drive around the country with weapons?

Who said he had PTSD?

And if he's innocent why did he try to escape and then kill himself in jail?

Ever been in a Mexican jail?

 

[hortysir]

Any weapons owner should ALWAYS be aware of the laws around him.

If I get a flat, I won't be stopping in front of a school to change it while my gun is in the truck.
I'll pay $100 for a new rim before I pay thousands + jail time.

 

[SteadyMercury]

if you were wrongfully arrested in a foreign country

He wasn't wrongfully arrested, he drove into Mexico with guns in his truck.

 

[Jughead]

if you were wrongfully arrested in a foreign country

He wasn't wrongfully arrested, he drove into Mexico with guns in his truck.

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border. I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

 

[Chuckt]

He simply missed an exit, and had no way of turning back. It could have happened to any one of us. I don't get how he can potentially get 6 to 25 years for simply missing an exit? He never used his guns on anyone. Mexico has some very serious problems with drug dealers, and here they are jailing an innocent person for simply missing an exit.

TIJUANA, Mexico – A Marine veteran jailed in Mexico on weapons charges for allegedly bringing guns across the border said he never intended to leave the country but missed an exit when heading to meet friends in a border town.

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, said he was headed to dinner in San Ysidro on March 31 when he mistakenly wound up at a border crossing point in Tijuana, U-T San Diego reported Sunday.

"I was going to call them after I drove off the exit, but I never got off the exit, I blew right past it," he told the newspaper in an interview from jail. "I wasn't paying attention, thinking I had way farther to go. I ended up in Mexico with no way to turn around."

He said Mexican authorities found three guns inside the truck he had recently driven from Florida to make a new start in San Diego. He was jailed, and is now being held in Tijuana's La Mesa Penitentiary without bail.

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter last week wrote a letter asking Secretary of State John Kerry to secure Tahmooressi's release. State Department officials said they were aware of an arrest of a U.S. citizen in Mexico, but they do not comment on arrests of private individuals without the person's permission.

Similar cases have occurred before. In 2008, an active-duty Army soldier was jailed in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, for driving into Mexico with guns, knives and ammunition. In 1999, a Marine was detained in Tijuana for two weeks after driving into Mexico with guns, the newspaper reported.

If Tahmooressi is convicted, he faces six to 21 years in a Mexican prison, his lawyers said, adding that alternatively the case could be dropped if the Mexican attorney general's office in Mexico City requests dismissal.

Marine Veteran Jailed in Mexico For Missing Exit and Bringing Guns Across Border

It is a judgment call for the judge but I can't see it in their eyes because I'm not from around there.
Judges have a lot of power. Hopefully he sees the judge when the judge is having a good day.
They have to take it seriously because of what happened and they don't know us and I'm sure it takes a couple days to get the two countries to figure this out.
You also have to ask, "What if it wasn't an accident and he didn't turn around after the border?" They might even ask what would have happened if there was a mishap?
Will it help if he takes a lie detector test?
I am sympathetic but unfortunately I don't vote in Mexico or have any say. The best we can do is express our concern for the young man.

 

[Chuckt]

There are jobs you can get prosecuted at. For example, you can spend $5,000 or $10,000 or more getting a private pilot's license and you can get prosecuted for not following the rules.

Doctors spend hundreds of thousands going to medical school and they can lose their license.

Engineers can get in trouble if they do something wrong and people get hurt.

The Federal Government can fine people.

He messed up and he is in someone else's hands.

We don't have to forget about him but we will see how this plays out.

 

[SteadyMercury]

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border.

He wasn't charged with intent, he was charged with entering Mexico with guns which he did. Whether he had intent is up to the courts to decide. I've driven into Mexico thru the exact same entry point, it is very clear where the entrance to Mexico is and he could have easily stopped his truck and handled it differently.

I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

How are you sure of this exactly?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

if you were wrongfully arrested in a foreign country

He wasn't wrongfully arrested, he drove into Mexico with guns in his truck.

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border. I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

It's still against the law, even if you do it by accident.

I'm sure that sometimes people do get let off, but that doesn't mean it's not a crime. I've talked my way out of tickets before, even when I was guilty.

Intent isn't what makes it a crime.

 

[Politico]

if you were wrongfully arrested in a foreign country

He wasn't wrongfully arrested, he drove into Mexico with guns in his truck.

That.

 

[bianco]

No worries... send the 7th Fleet to Mexico and tell Mexico you want him back, or else.

 

[Chuckt]

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border.

He wasn't charged with intent, he was charged with entering Mexico with guns which he did. Whether he had intent is up to the courts to decide. I've driven into Mexico thru the exact same entry point, it is very clear where the entrance to Mexico is and he could have easily stopped his truck and handled it differently.

I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

How are you sure of this exactly?

Is the signage adequate?
Could he have turned around?
Could he have stopped before the border and said, "Guys, I need to turn around because of my cargo? I came here by accident and wish to turn around?"

 

[Indofred]

Weapons running to Mexico is a big and very profitable business. I am not saying this person in particular was doing so but if someone wanted to pick up a few extra hundred bucks this would be a good way to do it. He did have a good choice of guns.

I am saying he was and, whilst I'm at it, I'm saying he's a shit liar.
It's so easy to miss the border crossing at that point as this photo of the crossing shows.
Really, anyone could drive past and never notice it.

Basically, fuck him.
He's gun running to people who kill to protect their drugs trade.

 

[Jughead]

He wasn't wrongfully arrested, he drove into Mexico with guns in his truck.

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border. I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

It's still against the law, even if you do it by accident.

I'm sure that sometimes people do get let off, but that doesn't mean it's not a crime. I've talked my way out of tickets before, even when I was guilty.

Intent isn't what makes it a crime.

Lets' say I'm working on one of the upper units of a highrise building and accidently drop an air conditioner unit onto someone walking down below while trying to install the unit. The person is killed. I am not charged as there was no intent involved. However, if I threw the A/C unit to deliberately strike the person, then I'd be charged with murder.

Intent does indeed make a difference on whether or not you get arrested.

 

[Chuckt]

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border. I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

It's still against the law, even if you do it by accident.

I'm sure that sometimes people do get let off, but that doesn't mean it's not a crime. I've talked my way out of tickets before, even when I was guilty.

Intent isn't what makes it a crime.

Lets' say I'm working on one of the upper units of a highrise building and accidently drop an air conditioner unit onto someone walking down below while trying to install the unit. The person is killed. I am not charged as there was no intent involved. However, if I threw the A/C unit to deliberately strike the person, then I'd be charged with murder.

Intent does indeed make a difference on whether or not you get arrested.

I work in a building that also has a school. A kid was bullied so he brought a gun to school. He didn't hurt anyone but the police came and one could argue in theory that he wanted to stand up for himself. I don't know what happened to him because he is a minor but I'm guessing they are going to make an example out of him. They could give him extra years for every bullet he had if he is smart with the judge.

The 25 year old in the news story needs a lawyer. We can't help him because it is not within our power.

 

[Politico]

There was no intent involved. He merely missed an exit, and could not avoid the border. I am sure this happens more often than we hear about, and in most cases, the border guards determine that there was no intent involved, and no arrest is made.

It's still against the law, even if you do it by accident.

I'm sure that sometimes people do get let off, but that doesn't mean it's not a crime. I've talked my way out of tickets before, even when I was guilty.

Intent isn't what makes it a crime.

Lets' say I'm working on one of the upper units of a highrise building and accidently drop an air conditioner unit onto someone walking down below while trying to install the unit. The person is killed. I am not charged as there was no intent involved. However, if I threw the A/C unit to deliberately strike the person, then I'd be charged with murder.

Intent does indeed make a difference on whether or not you get arrested.

That is the dumbest comparison.