Mexico frees U.S. Marine jailed on weapons charges

A U.S. Marine jailed for eight months in Mexico is free today after a judge ruled he should be released because of his mental state.

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi served two tours in Afghanistan and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. He was in Southern California seeking treatment for the condition when he crossed the Mexican border with guns in his truck. Tahmooressi said he got lost and went through the border crossing by accident. He told Mexican guards he had weapons in his truck but they refused to let him turn around, arresting him instead.

U.S. lawmakers had pleaded with Mexican officials to release Tahmooressi on humanitarian grounds, and the White House asked Mexico to process the case without delay.

U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “elated” by the news that Tahmooressi would be coming home.

“As I said after visiting Andrew in the Mexican jail, he needs to come home to the United States to be with his mother Jill and the support network of friends I know to be standing by to help him,” Royce said. “He is a hero who served his country bravely on the battlefields of Afghanistan, which is why so many Americans have been focused on getting him home.”

Jill Tahmooressi told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing in October that her son’s time in jail had been worse than his tours in Afghanistan.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said her heart was with Tahmooressi’s mother, who lobbied tirelessly for his release.

“It is my hope that Andrew can transition back to life in the U.S. after this ordeal as soon as possible, including securing the treatment he needs for his post-traumatic stress disorder and being honored for his service to our nation,” Wasserman Schultz said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.