Marine vet shackled to bunk in Mexican prison cell

U.S. Marine veteran Jon Hammar spends most of his day on a bunk bed in a dingy Mexican prison, and at times his ankle is restrained by a handcuff locked to a bed.

Hammar, 27, is charged with illegal possession of a firearm -- an heirloom shotgun that once belonged to his grandfather -- and has spent more than four months in a prison in Matamoros, Mexico.

The saga of Hammar, a veteran of Marine campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, has become a pre-Christmas bilateral issue brought up on the floors of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.

For the first time, a photo of Hammar’s detention has been made public.

Read more in this report from McClatchy Newspapers.in Florida are fighting for Hammar's

Also check out this report about how family and friends in Florida are fighting for Hammar's release.

 

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/17/4490877/this-is-how-mexico-confines-us.html#storylink=cpy

Comments

[curtis phillips]

Where is the State Dept? Is there anyone planning to go to the border to make a show of protest?

[Carl]

This guy broke the law! He should go to jail. His parents are basically saying ... he's American, Mexican laws don't apply. Well lady, if you travel abroad, you follow the laws of the country you travel to. Trying real hard to follow the law isn't the same as following the law. He needs to grow up and accept responsibility for his actions.

This is the attitude that is seeing such great problems in America.

[lrc]

Stay out of Mexico , your looking for trouble, thier is alot to do in the old USA. lc

[bike a mountain]

nice its illegal to own a gun in Mexico...so how are the killing all those people with Legal guns.

[Allen Long]

I hate to say this but This is not about the law but is way to extort money from friends and kinfolk. They will do the same thing if your kids
leave a shotgun shell in the trunk
and they search the car. I remember
a charity who gave a town a ambulance
they had to pay bribes to drive it down
there. They are scum.

[TX_Proud]

The State Dept has no legal jurisdiction to "get someone off" of charges in another country. You do the crime, you do the time ... State can only moderately ensure your wellbeing.

And as for taking a gun into Mexico .... uh, Hello .... where does "nothing can go wrong with that plan" come into play.