Andrew Tahooressi
I received a copy of a letter sent by Senator McCain to the President of Mexico regarding US Marine Corp veteran Andrew Tahmooressi. The Marine veteran was imprisoned in Mexico for six months after making a wrong turn at the border and trying to enter Mexico with “three loaded handguns” in his vehicle (trunk of his car). A very dumb boneheaded move on the part of that Marine, one that resulted in his arrest and incarceration on weapons charges. The illegal flood of US weapons into Mexico poses a national security risk and there is a zero tolerance policy on anyone trying to smuggle weapons into the country – period.
In Mexico only the police and military can have weapons.
The letter reads as follows:
October 3, 2014
The Honorable Enrique Peña Nieto
President of Mexico
San Miguel Chapultepec
11850, Ciudad de México
Distrito Federal
Dear President Peña Nieto:
I am writing to bring to your immediate attention the status of U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Andrew Tahmooressi, who was arrested on March 31, 2014, and remains in a prison in Mexico. I recently spoke with Ambassador of Mexico to the United States Eduardo Medina Mora regarding this matter and I remain concerned about Mr. Tahmooressi’s prolonged detainment.
While Mr. Tahmooressi’s case is rightfully a Mexican judicial matter, many people in both of our countries, myself included, believe that Mr. Tahmooressi’s action was the clear result of an honest mistake. I understand that earlier on the day of his arrest, Mr. Tahmooressi reportedly visited by foot shops in Tijuana, Mexico, after leaving his car in San Diego, California. At the end of that day, he returned to San Diego and retrieved his parked car intending to drive to San Ysidro to have dinner. But, shortly after leaving the parking lot, he reportedly made a wrong turn and crossed the border into Mexico, where he was stopped and apprehended by police after disclosing that he had three loaded guns in his car.
I continue to hope that your government will find, after the full examination of the facts of his case, that he committed an honest mistake; harbored no malign intent toward your country or its citizens; and, therefore, can be allowed to return home to the United States.
Thank you for your continued service. I look forward to continuing our work together on this matter and the broader task of advancing our mutually-beneficial bilateral partnership.
Sincerely,
John McCain
United States Senator
Note: The letter was an attempt by Senator McCain to assist the family of the Marine held in Mexico.
See article: Family of U.S. Marine Held in Mexican Jail Pleads to Sen. McCain http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/…/family-of-…/30133/