Freed Marine Speaks Out About Being Jailed In Mexico
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WESTON (CBSMiami) – A retired marine from Weston who was jailed in Mexico for illegally entering the country with firearms spoke out about his experience.
"They took me to a bunkbed in a cell and strapped my arms around the top posts of a bunk bed and my legs around the bottom posts of the bunk bed, after they had stripped me down and I was just standing there like this naked," said 25-year old Andrew Tahmooressi.
Click here to watch Summer Knowles' report.
At times he was naked but more often alone and terrified inside a Mexican jail for seven months. The now retired marine lived to talk about it and shared his story with Fox News after enduring threats of rape, torture and even execution.
Tahmooressi who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder was recently freed by a Mexican judge because of his mental state.
Tahmooressi, glad to be free, shuns the spotlight.
"It's like I'm on a show right now and I'm a show. I don't like being the show, I just like to be. You know? Normal," said Tahmooressi.
There is nothing normal though about how he ended up in Mexico.
While living in San Diego he said he accidentally crossed the U.S. Mexico border after taking a wrong turn on a freeway that funneled him into a Tijuana port of entry with no way to turn back.
The problem was he had guns in his car and although they were legally bought and registered in the U.S. but in Mexico they are illegal so he was immediately arrested on federal illegal arms charges and jailed.
His mother was desperately concerned for his safety after a chilling phone call from him.
"In a panicked voice he said, 'mom I'm not gonna make it through the night. There are hit men in here who have told me that they are gonna kill me,'" said his mother Jill Tahmooressi.
After that...Jill did what you'd imagine any loving mother would. She worked tirelessly with any lawmaker who'd listen to get her son home and again after seven long months it happened.
He is now back safe and sound with his family.
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