Failing our veterans: We cannot leave US Marine Tahmooressi behind in Mexico

originally posted by: Sremmos80
I still don't get how you just make a wrong turn into mexico, there are signs on the American side that tell you are about to enter, why was he not able to turn on around on American soil?

You don't --- if you pay attention and read the signs.

However, once you're in a line, you can't turn around. He should have alerted someone on the American side. But, he was breaking US law by having the guns in his car in CA. He was in trouble either way.

a reply to: HardCorps

Well resin in a pipe is a little less than guns. Not much in the Ronnie Raygun Zero Tolerance days but a little less.

a reply to: HardCorps

it was an honest mistake... nothing more... and yet look what this has all turned into

I don't think we can say that, the only side of the story we have is his, and of course he is going to make it sound like he was not at fault.

Isn't ATS always saying we need both sides of the story before we can say for sure what happened?
If you take a step back you have a man who illegally entered mexico with guns.

I am surprised how that our border issue hasn't came up yet , but for those thinking it, we are talking about two different with two different sets of laws.

Many comments seem to be coming from people who have not followed this story. Once the wrong turn was made there was no way out. The sign to turn Togo back to US was low and not lit. He immediately called 911...and on and on.

Troops have never been nothing but expendable to government and society as a whole. Only time they try and save and recover troops is for political gain. Should it be that way? NO. But i always knew that it was that way. If i thought any different i might have signed up myself. If it weren't for my #### being executed in peace time on US soil by his own superiors for questioning why they were executing others in training. Marine LCP Jason jay Rother google it. I commented on a current affair article on you tube. I was going to reference. But it does not exist anymore after the comment. PM me if you want the facts after you google the 1/2 truth. An arranged accident. a reply to: HardCorps

a reply to: HardCorps
I said no such thing. Nice strawman attempt though.

I have crossed the border many times, you can't do it accidentally. There are signs all over the place, you can see the custom booths miles away etc etc.

If this was an honest mistake based in ignorance explain to me the fact that he had visited mexico several times recently. I already linked the article that obviously no one read (seems to be common to ignore posts entirely)

Let's say a Mexican citizen was caught going into the US with marijuana or coc aine and claimed he made a wrong turn. He would be utterly destroyed. He would get no due process or sympathy from the public.

This is yet another case of Americans thinking they should be immune to laws of other nations (kinda like Americans visiting North Korea and getting arrested and their families being for action).

It's also a display of Americans lack of empathy (the same people fighting for this marine would have absolutely no sympathy for the hypothetical scenario I brought up) and inability to step objectively outside the situation in light of history, legality, and morality.

I'm very sorry that we're no longer powerful enough to let our citizens do whatever the # they want with no thought of consequences (ignoring our CEOs and leaders who still do exactly that).

I'm very sorry that this guy has to be the poster child for Mexican sovereignty but if you look at history they have every right to make a stand. Mexico is a nation where violence is an everyday concern for the average citizen and it's almost entirely due to American weapons and the CIAs use of drugs for covert funding. Open your eyes people. This guy isn't some innocent dude that got arrested for no reason while on vacation in Cancun. I personally applaud Mexico for standing up for itself for once.

On a side note the calls for boycotts are utterly ridiculous. We are driving every potential ally into the hands of China. Let's not do the same with Mexico that we've been doing with India and Brazil and many other nations. American hegemony is crumbling and instead of moving on we're desperately trying to pretend it isn't while throwing temper tantrums.

Totally agree with the OP...

I wonder if this is more about money and politics than anything else.

I have read several pieces about this story and so far I have not seen ONE single reason for this man to be behind prison bars.

a reply to: tavi45

Tijuana three other times? You either go to tijyana for drugs, partying, whores or steroids. He clearly knew the route and whats with all the ammo and guns that he had a liscense for?

Sounds absurdly suspect....


Just because he's a marine doesn't make him an angel.

originally posted by: Murgatroid
Totally agree with the OP...

I wonder if this is more about money and politics than anything else.

I have read several pieces about this story and so far I have not seen ONE single reason for this man to be behind prison bars.

He broke Mexico's laws?

a reply to: Murgatroid

That's because you only read sources that are on your side. I posted a link earlier that talks about how he visited Mexico several times before this incident.

a reply to: tavi45

The U.S. Marine being held in Mexico on weapons charges did not identify himself as military when he was arrested two months ago and appeared to have entered Mexico through the same border crossing three times before, Mexican officials said Wednesday.

He crossed the same exact place, not just that he crossed the border. Yeah a bit suspect, I never heard that tidbit of info before. Even less sympathy now. Wrong turn, got lost my ass.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: HardCorps

it was an honest mistake... nothing more... and yet look what this has all turned into

I don't think we can say that, the only side of the story we have is his, and of course he is going to make it sound like he was not at fault.

Guy was living in his car. He needed money. He walked across border to meet some friends.

It is not a stretch to say he met "friends" to arrange to sell the guns.

He does not get an automatic pass for being stupid. Whether he was "accidentally" stupid or by intent.

originally posted by: TKDRL
a reply to: tavi45

The U.S. Marine being held in Mexico on weapons charges did not identify himself as military when he was arrested two months ago and appeared to have entered Mexico through the same border crossing three times before, Mexican officials said Wednesday.

He crossed the same exact place, not just that he crossed the border. Yeah a bit suspect, I never heard that tidbit of info before. Even less sympathy now. Wrong turn, got lost my ass.

It does make a difference if he walked across or drove across.

I walk across all the time. Totally different then driving across, which I won't do.

originally posted by: liveandlearn
The sign to turn Togo back to US was low and not lit. He immediately called 911...and on and on.

Is that proven fact?

These border crossings are lit up like McDonalds.

I feel for the guy, I do. But...
He knowingly went into Mexico. He'd gone into Mexico multiple times. It's possible that the first time was a mistake. We expect Mexicans that come into our country, by mistake or not, to follow our rules. Mexico has rules and laws. He screwed up so he should pay the price.

The man released for the Al-Qaeda members is a completely different situation and it's hardly comparable. We don't know anything other than what we've been told by his comrades. And at this point we should know, people lie. He's an American, and it's anti-American to just leave him there. No soldier left behind. If he did join Al-Qaeda or whatever after being sent overseas, I think he should be put on trial here. Americans deal with American affairs. At the end of the day, he was part of the military and went overseas. The man in Mexico willingly went to Mexico. The guy we traded for willingly went to the Middle East, but he didn't break their laws. He broke OUR laws.

It's almost a little ridiculous to actually believe that the people we let go for the soldier are actually back in action. I know they said one was involved in something, but I would be willing to bet that the people we released are probably in a guarded safehouse somewhere. America is all about covering things up, and making the people think something other than what happened.

I think it'd funny because had we of left the soldier in the Middle East people would have been harassing Obama saying he was anti-American. And that 'Bush would have brought him home,' but he did the right thing, and people are still harassing him. Some people can just never win.

originally posted by: HardCorps
a reply to: TKDRL

So it was okay for Obama to release 5 key al qaeda leaders in exchange for another young Marine who was captured while AWOL... but not this kid who made a wrong turn, admitted to his mistake as well...

That could have easily been you or I who got into the wrong traffic lane... He made a simple mistake that's all.

This guy is not POW being held by terrorists he is guy who broke the law in another country and just like anybody else he pays the price for that. His sob story does not make him special. And what is the US suppose to do? Call Mexico and say hey forget you have your own laws and all just send him home because we said so. Why just him? Why not every other American in jail in Mexico? They will all assure you they were arrested by mistake and they did nothing wrong. Hell for that matter why do we not free all the Vets in jail in the US, they also will tell you they did nothing wrong and it was just a mistake. Why is this guy so special? Oh yeah because somebody picked it up on the news.

a reply to: Annee
I don't understand. You might be in danger of getting lost and accidentally driving through a border you crossed before on foot, just because you are driving?

originally posted by: TKDRL
He shouldn't have crossed the border with guns. He broke their laws, and is paying the price. I don't feel bad when a mexican breaks our laws and go to prison, why should I feel bad for an american going to prison for breaking mexican laws?

Every single GD day thousands of illegals cross that border to the tune of 10's of millions now live here.

Then Mexican side declares the border 'matters'.

Hell lots of ILLEGAL stuff comes across that border that doesn't include people. guns,drugs, and even them 'terrorists'.

What a joke.

But let's get real.

US military servicement fight, and die for us.

The least we can do is fight for them.

No matter where they are.

So he got popped for smuggling guns into Mexico (probably to trade to drug cartels for drugs) and all of a sudden it's "oh I made a boo boo, don't enforce your laws!"

Yeah right, not buying what this guy's selling!