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

[NoNukes]

Not true. He made an honest mistake and turned the wrong way, which is confirmed to be easy to do in that area.

Our "Apologist-In-Chief" should have already got the Marine home!

The excuse was that he just moved there. A responsible gun owner would have locked the guns away in his domicile.

My understanding is he was on his way to San Diego, moving there. He stopped to have dinner with some friends on the way, then left there to continue on, and made the wrong turn. Thus he still had all his belongings locked in his truck box.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, please.

Thought he had already moved. I stand corrected.

 

[Jughead]

There was clearly no intent involved. He should have been released after questioning by Mexican officials.

Okay, if I get caught for a DUI after three beers, but was only driving because I didn't feel buzzed and didn't think three beers would put me over the 0.8, should I be released since no intent?

That's not the best example. The fact that you consumed 3 beers shows that you had intent, it was no accident. A good example would be me fixing my roof, and accidently dropping a batch of shingles onto the sidewalk, and in the process striking and killing someone. There was no intent involved, so I would not get charged. This fellow missed an exit, it was accidental, and could happen to anyone. I'm not sure about that specific border crossing, but I do know that some border crossings come at you suddenly, so you would have no choice but to go through, especially when prevented from backing up due to traffic.

This scenario probably occurs more often than we realize, and in most cases, Mexican officials determine that it was accidental, and no one is charged. For some reason, they are making an example out of this guy.

 

[Jughead]

Not very responsible gun ownership.

Not true. He made an honest mistake and turned the wrong way, which is confirmed to be easy to do in that area.

Our "Apologist-In-Chief" should have already got the Marine home!

The excuse was that he just moved there. A responsible gun owner would have locked the guns away in his domicile.

He was on his way to his new residence, he had to carry all his belongings with him. Even if he didn't, nothing prevents him from having his guns in his truck.

 

[Jughead]

?? you are in your car --you are driving--maybe listening to music---multi tasking, if you will--you miss a turn???

Miss a turn? Yup, quite possible.

Approach the border crossing with building spanning the road that says Mexico with all the Mexican immigration and customs guys standing around where you have to slow down and enter thru one of the lanes? I don't see it.

It was winding and after you got on there were cement barricades between the lanes that prevented you from turning around once you went back south and THEN being able to see the crossing. It was not visible when you turned north first at the turn. You would have to see it to realize how poorly it is marked, and blind until too late.

Reminds me of the Nogales border crossing. It is very easy there to miss the U-turn option just before the border, especially if in the right lane. Backing up is dangerous and not possible with the traffic.

 

[SteadyMercury]

It was winding and after you got on there were cement barricades between the lanes that prevented you from turning around once you went back south and THEN being able to see the crossing. It was not visible when you turned north first at the turn. You would have to see it to realize how poorly it is marked, and blind until too late.

Negative, it wasn't too late, and yes I've driven from San Diego to Tijuana.

This is where he has time to pull over and stop his car on American soil, get the attention of US CBP whatever, but all these claims it was too late to avoid entering Mexico or that he didn't realize he was in Mexico are complete bullshit

 

[SteadyMercury]

I feel bad for this guy.

Definitely, and I hope we can work out a diplomatic solution to get this guy home.

 

[SteadyMercury]

The fact that you consumed 3 beers shows that you had intent, it was no accident.

False. I can consume beers without intent to commit DUI if I don't realize three beers leaves me impaired. I might feel fine, I might believe I weigh enough that three beers is legal, but I get stopped and blow a 0.08 the cop isn't going to let me go because I didn't intend to commit a crime.

I'm not sure about that specific border crossing, but I do know that some border crossings come at you suddenly, so you would have no choice but to go through, especially when prevented from backing up due to traffic.

Bullshit, I can't believe you keep saying this with a straight face.

If you are approaching the Mexican border there is absolutely nothing short of a bulldozer behind you pushing your car along that creates a situation where you have "no choice but to go through." You pull over or just stop your car on American soil and don't proceed. Holding up traffic or inconveniencing other drivers isn't relevant to this argument, one must choose to press down on the gas peddle with their foot all the way through the clearly marked international border crossing.

 

[depotoo]

It was winding and after you got on there were cement barricades between the lanes that prevented you from turning around once you went back south and THEN being able to see the crossing. It was not visible when you turned north first at the turn. You would have to see it to realize how poorly it is marked, and blind until too late.

Negative, it wasn't too late, and yes I've driven from San Diego to Tijuana.

This is where he has time to pull over and stop his car on American soil, get the attention of US CBP whatever, but all these claims it was too late to avoid entering Mexico or that he didn't realize he was in Mexico are complete bullshit

That does not look like where he was. They actually drove it. Wish there were tape of their drive so all could see it.

 

[SteadyMercury]

That does not look like where he was. They actually drove it. Wish there were tape of their drive so all could see it.

That image is a screen capture I took from the video posted of them driving it. It was posted a few pages back in the thread.

 

[Chuckt]

There was clearly no intent involved. He should have been released after questioning by Mexican officials.

Okay, if I get caught for a DUI after three beers, but was only driving because I didn't feel buzzed and didn't think three beers would put me over the 0.8, should I be released since no intent?

There is a guy that now goes to our church who was once arrested for DUI. He didn't hurt anyone but one of the pastors spoke up for him and I forget how they asked the officials to look at it differently but they did.

The soldier risked his life for our country so we should be in debt to him. The least we can do is say something because we collectively owe him something. What if he was shot on his tour of duty? What if he was in rehab for getting hurt during his service? Don't we owe him something?

If you look at it from a view point of paying damages, what did he damage that needs to be fixed? How much would it cost? He damaged nothing. Give him a warning and let him go.

 

[Chuckt]

The fact that you consumed 3 beers shows that you had intent, it was no accident.

False. I can consume beers without intent to commit DUI if I don't realize three beers leaves me impaired. I might feel fine, I might believe I weigh enough that three beers is legal, but I get stopped and blow a 0.08 the cop isn't going to let me go because I didn't intend to commit a crime.

I'm not sure about that specific border crossing, but I do know that some border crossings come at you suddenly, so you would have no choice but to go through, especially when prevented from backing up due to traffic.

Bullshit, I can't believe you keep saying this with a straight face.

If you are approaching the Mexican border there is absolutely nothing short of a bulldozer behind you pushing your car along that creates a situation where you have "no choice but to go through." You pull over or just stop your car on American soil and don't proceed. Holding up traffic or inconveniencing other drivers isn't relevant to this argument, one must choose to press down on the gas peddle with their foot all the way through the clearly marked international border crossing.

There should be a more reasonable way to handle it like designing a place to make U-Turns or being able for him to call their authorities and getting some help if he tells on himself. Lets say for the sake of argument, if he called and said, "I did this by mistake" and if they still arrested him, that shows they aren't being understanding. I took my car once to get the windshield replaced. The shop destroyed my inspection stickers on purpose so I had to get a lawfully inspected car re-inspected. I called the police and asked them what to do. The only thing they said was the police should be understanding.

Do all lapses of judgment deserve criminalization if no one gets hurt and shows no intent?

 

[Jughead]

This event could easily have happened to any one of us...

Let’s all go “Off the Record” for a minute. I saw with my own eyes, even drove it — the turn Sergeant Tahmooressi made, thinking he was going back to San Diego. It’s the one, frankly, I would have taken. It was, after all, the direction towards San Diego.

It was dark, the sign was fully placed, even smudged with graffiti and once into that turn, that’s where there was the big surprise. The entrance ramp didn’t go north to San Diego but loops down below, south, and right into Mexico. Once on that ramp, there were absolutely no options. One hundred yards later, the Mexican checkpoint. Once at that checkpoint and you hear it on the 911 call, he reported the guns, guns he lawfully possesses in the U.S.

US Marine Jailed In Mexico

 

[Chuckt]

Are there any standards in incarceration?
Does someone who hurt no one deserve the same sentence as someone who did?
Does someone who hurt no one deserve to be incarcerated with people who are threatening him?
Does the military usually choose people who are a danger to society and if not, doesn't he deserve better treatment?

Does the Mexican legal system allow people to come here legally when they should be in jail?

 

[rightwinger]

What does his being an ex-Marine have to do with his innocence or guilt?

 

[mamooth]

This isn't a new problem. It's been going on for decades, people getting imprisoned in Mexico for accidental violations. I had a close call with it when my friend had an empty box of shotgun shells in his truck. The Mexican cop who was shaking down us American servicemen spotted it, and that resulted in them ripping apart the interior of the truck looking for actual guns or ammo. Since there was none, it didn't go any further.

Oddly, the ODS crowd seems to have just found out about how things work. Either that, or they only started to care when Obama became president.

 

[depotoo]

This isn't a new problem. It's been going on for decades, people getting imprisoned in Mexico for accidental violations. I had a close call with it when my friend had an empty box of shotgun shells in his truck. The Mexican cop who was shaking down us American servicemen spotted it, and that resulted in them ripping apart the interior of the truck looking for actual guns or ammo. Since there was none, it didn't go any further.

Oddly, the ODS crowd seems to have just found out about how things work. Either that, or they only started to care when Obama became president.

Maybe because this case has been all over the media and some others haven't? And I do seem to recall other type situations that received a lot of media with many of us showing support here to help them out. What about the kids picked up by Iran, as an example of one discussed here.

 

[Chuckt]

What does his being an ex-Marine have to do with his innocence or guilt?

If it happened to be you, would you start to feel any different?

 

[SteadyMercury]

This event could easily have happened to any one of us...

You can say this a million times but you speak for yourself, I would not have accidentally driven across the border into Mexico from San Diego and this could never have happened to me.

 

[SteadyMercury]

There should be a more reasonable way to handle it like designing a place to make U-Turns or being able for him to call their authorities and getting some help if he tells on himself.

He could have taken his foot off the gas and applied it to the brake. Despite what jughead keeps blindly chanting, the actual border crossing is quite obvious and even with no u-turn lane nobody is forced to drive into Mexico.

Do all lapses of judgment deserve criminalization if no one gets hurt and shows no intent?

This is an interesting question, so back to the three beers. If I have three beers, don't feel a buzz and believe my body weight makes me legal for driving, do I deserve punishment if I get stopped and blow over a 0.08 even if I didn't intent to drive while intoxicated (I though I was fine) and nobody was hurt?

 

[wavingrl]

This event could easily have happened to any one of us...

You can say this a million times but you speak for yourself, I would not have accidentally driven across the border into Mexico from San Diego and this could never have happened to me.

I really believe you SM. I do.

'It could have happened'. I believe that, too.

I cannot prove it--don't care that much for psychological explanations. As a human being--'some' of us can get distracted.

I would greatly prefer to be like you--not possible. but we know all of that.

'you guys'---military--non-military--whomever you are--we do need you.

think--I can try--may be 'Forrest Gump'---I will still try. So much that I cannot understand.