American woman freed in East Timor after weeks in jail

An American woman arrested weeks ago in the Southeast Asian country of East Timor has been released.

Dr. Stacey Addison, a 41-year-old veterinarian, shared a taxi in September with a stranger who happened to be carrying methamphetamine, and that's when her ordeal began, reports CBS News correspondent Debora Patta.

Addison still can't leave the country. The government there has not returned her passport.

But the news of her release has come as a relief to her mother, who's been dedicated to securing her daughter's freedom.

Addison was released from a women's prison on Christmas Day.

More than 7,000 miles away, her mother, Bernadette Kero, at home in Oregon, got a phone call from U.S. State Department officials with the surprising news.

A short time later, her daughter called.

"As soon as she got out, she called me, and I'll tell you -- it was just so great to hear her voice and talk to her. ... I was, crying, and I was just so happy," Kero told "CBS This Morning."

Kero said Addison is in good health overall.

Addison is staying at the guest house of the country's former president, Jose Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

"She's staying there she'll be able to get medical care, get a check-up," Kero said.

On September 5, Addison crossed the border from Indonesia, sharing a taxi with another traveler.

She says that passenger asked to make a stop to pick up a package.

When authorities found drugs in the vehicle, Addison was detained for several days. She was released, but officials kept her passport so she could not leave the country.

In October, while attending a hearing, Addison was arrested again, and remained behind bars until Thursday.

During the nearly four month-long ordeal, Kero made it her mission to bring her daughter home. "I'm trying to write everybody I can. I'll write the pope, Bill Clinton," she said at one point.

The State Department said Thursday. "The U.S. government welcomes the decision" to free Addison.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley spoke with CBS Portland, Oregon affiliate KOIN-TV about the efforts to free Addison. "We pursued some back channels for folks who had connections, to have them weigh in privately," he said. "We just did everything we possibly could to find a way for her to get released from prison."

Merkley said it could be some time before the passport issue is ironed out and Addison can return to the U.S.

But for Kero, her daughter's unexpected freedom is the ultimate holiday gift.

"I will never forget this Christmas," she told "CBS This Morning."

East Timor declared independence from Indonesia in 2002 and its justice system is still in early stages.

Though Addison still needs to secure her passport, getting released was clearly a major obstacle.