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Mexican Ambassador’s Letter Suggests Marine Jailed on Disputed Gun Charge Won’t Be Home for Christmas

Dec. 20, 2012 4:35pm Jason Howerton

Mexican Ambassadors Letter Suggests Marine Jon Hammar Wont Be Home for Christmas

(Photo via Fox News)

A letter sent by a Mexican ambassador to a U.S. congresswoman seems to indicate that Jon Hammar, the former Marine jailed in a notorious Mexican prison on a questionable gun charge, will not be home in time for Christmas this year.

Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhan sent the two-page letter to Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), which leaves very little hope that a diplomatic solution is imminent, FoxNews.com reports. In the letter, Sarukhan blasted the flow of weapons purchased in the U.S. into Mexico, which then end up in the hands of “criminal organizations.”

“As you know well, Mexico has had very stringent gun-control laws in place for many years, and have reinforced their application as a result of the flow of weapons illicitly purchased in the U.S. and then trafficked into Mexico and into the hands of transnational criminal organizations,” Sarukhan wrote.

The irony is, the letter almost sounds like an accurate description of the disastrous federal gun-walking program known as Operation Fast and Furious, carried out under the Obama administration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Phoenix allowed more than 2,000 guns to walk across the border and into the hands of drug cartel members. They were supposed to “track” the guns, but they lost them and the guns were later used in a variety of violent crimes.

Hammar has been sitting in a “notorious drug cartel-controlled prison” in Mexico since Aug. 13, when he crossed the southern border and declared an antique shotgun to Mexican customs officials. They impounded his RV and arrested him and his friend for possessing an illegal gun, though the friend was later released.

The Matamoros jail (CEDES) where Hammar is incarcerated is located in the state Tamaulipas, which is reportedly controlled by the notorious Los Zetas cartel.

Jon Hammar (FoxNews.com)

(FoxNews.com)

FoxNews.com has more details on the situation:

Hammar’s father said the letter is fraught with statements at odds with what he knows and what his son has told him.

“There are huge inaccuracies about what is happening in their system,” Jon Hammar Sr., said.

Sarukhan said Hammar was arrested for possession of a weapon that, according to Mexican law, is restricted for the exclusive use of the Mexican Armed Forces.

But high-ranking Mexican military officials have told Hammar’s attorney, Eddie Varon-Levy, that the gun Hammar tried to declare shortly after crossing into Mexico on his way to Costa Rica is not the type of firearm the laws are meant to block. The gun Hammar claims he also declared to U.S. Customs and border protection is a .410 gauge antique Sears Roebuck shotgun.

[...]

Two days after his arrest, Hammar’s parents received a midnight extortion attempt by a male caller who said he “owned” the prison, giving credence to speculation that the criminal elements control CEDES prison.

Ambassador Sarukhan said Mexican officials are just following the law.

“Regardless of what he may have declared or stated to CBP agents and then to Mexican Customs authorities, the sole introduction or possession of this type of weapon (not withstanding its intended use or year of manufacture) in Mexican territory constitutes a federal crime in Mexico and is not subject to any prosecutorial discretion,” he wrote.

Hammar’s attorney disagrees with the diplomat’s assessment, saying the prosecutor and his team can’t even agree on specifics of the rifle and it certainly does not resemble a military weapon.

“Perhaps the biggest bone of contention Hammar’s family and legal team have with Sarukhan is the ambassador’s pledge that Hammar will be held “in conditions that ensure his well-being and his rights.” Already, Hammar, who suffers post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been denied an interpreter at court appearances, had his life threatened and has been chained to a steel bed,” FoxNews.com reports.

Sarukhan also hinted in his letter that Hammar will be stuck in the jail until his trial is over.

“This circumstance requires that he remain under detention during the duration of his trial,” Sarukhan said.

A trial date is scheduled for Jan. 17, meaning he will spend Christmas in the Mexican prison.

It is unclear whether President Barack Obama or other senior administration officials have attempted to intervene on behalf of the Marine.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (64)

TheBurningTruth
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 7:23pm
If I were the Governor of Texas, I’d set up “security check points” looking for illegally smuggled guns into Texas about 2 miles inside the US/Mexican border on clearly Texas land. I’d stop every Mexican truck and execute a long length search for illegal guns / contraband. Any weapons found would result in an instant arrest with the driver / passengers hauled off to prison and the truck / cargo impounded. I would order this at ALL border crossings and literally stop the flow of commerce across that border. Any Mexican with ANY contraband would be sitting in prison.

When Obozo called to whine and complain, I’d NOT take the call letting the secretary tell his secretary that if he’d do HIS job, than this wouldn’t be happening.

This would go on until well AFTER Hammar was home.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 11:00pm
  Get the Mexicans out of our country.
  
  Report this comment
- banjarmon
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 1:50am
  I thinking… we have Special Forces, Seals, even Other Marines that could have him Out in a mater of hours…If they can rescue a doctor surely they can rescue Hammar!!!
  
  Report this comment
- jamestoms
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 8:38am
  We never learn, military you mean squat to this administration and most Senators
  
  Report this comment
Jake Dog2
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 7:02pm
Our country has a bunch of balless leaders. We should tell all the other countries do as we say we will kick you ass. We have been neutered by the progressives. Our flag should be pink.

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pavepaws
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:53pm
“Sarukhan blasted the flow of weapons purchased in the U.S. into Mexico, which then end up in the hands of “criminal organizations”. He must mean the weapons sent in by the Administration.

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B-Neil
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:47pm
The only answer; shut the Boarder untill he is released unharmed and they put $1,000,000.00 in his pocket. When are we going to stop playing with these ignorant Countries???

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Jake Dog2
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:32pm
Bill O’Reilly to Obama: “Here’s one of your guys – get him out!” Ah!! No he is not he is white and a vet.

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Jake Dog2
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:14pm
Hey!!! Give us our guy. Not one penny tell then. After we get him they can suck air. Why are we giving money to any damn country? Don’t understand. We are in the money hole and we give money to other countries. How dumb is that.. Then the countries we give the money to hate

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:24pm
  Level the prison and bring him out.
  
  Report this comment
- oldguy49
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:27pm
  besides cutting off there money……….how about we do like israel to get him back………….300,000 illegals in exchange for 1 marine……………
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 11:19pm
  oldguy49 – But the U.S. doesn’t negotiate with terrorists…
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 11:31pm
  OldGuy – P.S. But I’m willing to make a exception to the rule… I only ask that you inflate your 300k estimate…
  
  Report this comment
Couyon64
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:11pm
Mexico is nothing but a third world sh__ hole. Always has been. Always will be.

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ImWatchingYouAll
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:06pm
Can anyone say ” Seal Team Six”? I bet they can get him out. And retrieve some of the Fed’s Guns too.

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gz22ll
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:50pm
If the US State Department can’t resolve this issue why do we have them? Simple give Mexico a 48 hour heads up and then shut that specific port of entry down. You can say it is for “security” reasons or based on recently gathered “intelligence”. Nothing moves north or south through that port until the issue is resolved. Not a person, package or field mouse comes through that port.

Does not work cut off all financial wire transactions into Mexico. The US State Department needs to deal with third world countries on their level. If this was Hilary Clinton’s daughter or a friend this would have been resolved in an instant.

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shakedowncrews
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:45pm
Quick solution: start rounding up illegal aliens, and deporting them by the tens of thousands. We’ve overlooked their criminal entry to our country, and are repaid by mexico jailing an innocent marine.

Alternatively, let Joe Arpaio round up 100,000 or so in a tent city in deplorable conditions and tell the Mexicans they will be held until our guy is released.

Truth be told, I think this poor guy is being held as a vendetta for what Obama and Holder did in fast and furious.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:50pm
  Good solution.
  
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- DZ-015
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:35pm
  Agree with your last paragraph, Shakedown.
  
  Report this comment
RaydocX
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:42pm
Last I checked, this Marine did THE CORRECT THING AT THE BORDER.
And I don’t believe he is part of the Obama Administration.
It would be no different than grabbing the nearest illegal alien waiting for work at Home Depot and taking him to Guantanamo, given the less… friendly accommodations of the Mexican prison… and except that this man’s family is desperate to get him home safely.

Apparently, our government is less so, but is that a surprise when they left men in Benghazi? Expediency is the rule of the day for this administration, rather than honor or integrity.

It is too bad we will not see a late night ‘Ready Room’ photo op as the President and Hilalry watch our SEALs slipping in to retreive this young hero.

And while i do not argue that American made firearms ‘make it’ across the border to Mexico, and clearly this administration has trafficed in arms on the border and elsewhere, while trying to deny Americans their Constitutional right, it is not just American made firearms… take the Klashnikov factory in Venezuela… the Argentinian arms manufacturers… and given the graft that is rampant in Mexico, there is the interal supply from military and police.

Someone needs to step on the Mexican Ambassador if he persists in this farce. And their new President… letting anyone play with American lives cannot be tolerated.

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jessieH
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:40pm
I wonder if they might let him go if we start locking up THEIR people? We could start with their ambassador.

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right-wing-waco
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:14pm
Go to whitehouse.gov and tell Obama that he has the power to get this man home and demand that he do so. 2nd choice is to begin a rescue mission. Funny, Mexico has very strict gun laws and a really high murder rate. How is that “gun control” going to work here in the USA???

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:20pm
  Mexican-American war. We invade other nations for no reason, and let our Marine rot in a Mexican prison.
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:39pm
  For no reason? Are you sure? I could swear that as the Republic of Texas requested to be annexed into the U.S. as a state, Mexico went to war with us. Combat ops lasted for about a year and half until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. I guess that in your opinion Texas’ existence is Unconstitutional?
  
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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:47pm
  RJJinGadsden, you’re on the wrong page. I say invade, we’ve done it for less in the Balkans and the Middle East. Get him out. He’s ours. Don’t let him rot in that Third World prison.
  
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elosogrande
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:11pm
Americans need to get smart about a few things, and one of them is Mexico. Stop going there! The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes, and Mexico is a crap hole.

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:14pm
  I have to agree, not sure why anyone would go to that craphole. The Federales are as bad as the drug lords.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:28pm
  I say we go there on sand colored Humves with the M134 Minigun.
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:32pm
  Hammar was not intent on visiting Mexico. He was just wanting to travel through it legally to get to another Central American Country to hunt.
  
  In Hindsight it is a distinction without a difference.
  
  Maybe he should have flown & Fed-Ex’d his rifle after filling out the appropriate paperwork.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:36pm
  Walkabout, wake up. He did. He was told by our border patrol what to do, and he complied.
  
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Zeke48
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:08pm
this shows how weak this Black Muslim POS really is. I mean , hey Obama, the guy is half white you know. doesn’t that count for something you racist fool. You’ re not my Commander and Chief. I’m a combat Marine Vet. and I would love to go get him with a few others and I’ m 100% Disabled you coward.S top giving the dirt bags American tax dollars. this way you coward you don’t even have to ask them to send him home. they will get the idea.

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chips1
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:02pm
The next question he should ask is, “Will Mexico be there for Christmas”?

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drs1969
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:00pm
Stay out of Mexico. Their drug war has already cost more lives than Vietnam did for the US. Gangsters now control most of the country. I’ve been there several times, from Tiquana to Chetumal, but 4 years ago I left Cancun early because the place I was staying was rotten with Russian gangsters, not Russian tourists, Russian gangsters! Three days later, a retired Federal General and 2 aides were assasinated, on the road, in Cancun. Photos of soldiers w/ M16′s on the beach were in the news.
When they allow me to carry a weapon, while visiting, I might consider returning. The country is lawless.
This Marine is a ‘political prisoner’. He will be returned only after a big payout.

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- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:11pm
  OKAY you goons…you want to ARREST AMERICANS so you can EXTORT money from them? ? BLACKMAIL, KIDNAPPING ? And AMERICA is supposed to send these B-tards our money? NOPE.
  
  BOYCOTT MEXICO. Do not go there, do not buy anything from there, write your Congressman/woman and tell them: NO MORE MONEY for MEXICO; NO MORE FAVORS;
  
  DOPES. I am sick and tired of these goons that we GIVE MONEY to!! ANYONE WHO STILL TRAVELS TO MEXICO nowadays is nuts. YOU are asking for trouble. Haven’t you had enough of this ‘weak-kneed’ BS??? Good GRIEF… Obama’s second term hasn’t even started and he’s already
  screwed up royally… It’s more of the same…happy now LIberals?
  
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thegreatcarnac
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:56pm
If I were president I could get him out. If any of you on this board were president,…you could get this marine out of mexico. Obama can….but won’t. He isn’t black. He isn’t Muslim.

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- Adobewalls
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 9:36pm
  I’m thinking if we sent the Marines to the prison we could get him. The president could call up their president and tell him give him to us or we will come get him. You can let him walk across the boarder or hope you have enough body bags to take care of your military and police.
  
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Bullitt2008
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:55pm
I’ve lived in California my whole life and have enjoyed traveling to Mexico via car and cruise ship many times. After the violence there increased, my wife and I stopped going. Good thing they have very strict gun laws, eh? Now I have another reason not to go, EVER.

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Hoax And Chains
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:51pm
Gee, I wonder if we’ll send any illegals home in time for Christmas…

“As you know well, Mexico has had very stringent gun-control laws in place for many years…”.

Wow, Mexico… your law enforcement is awesome. Now… what about those thousands dead at the end of those illegal guns? Obama or Holder should volunteer to take this Marine’s place and they can’t get out until they come clean with the U.S. and Mexico about Fast and Furious.

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:56pm
  Send in a SEAL team or flat out invade that Third World piece of crap country. Clean up the border. Annex more property, and clean out La Raza.
  
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- momrules
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 9:57pm
  Damn. I hate it when I agree with the Jerk but in this case I do.
  
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conmil
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:49pm
He is a US citizen and not a Muslim. Won’t get any help from Obama or Holder.

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Free2speakRN
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:49pm
Holder, Obama, Hillary,

This is because of you.

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Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:48pm
Why don’t we do a prisoner swap of sorts. They send us back the marine and we send them the guy that is responsible for really sending weapons to Mexico. Somebody go round up Obama, slap some handcuffs on him and walk him to the cross bridge in Laredo.

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- Zipit
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:01pm
  Nice!
  
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- chips1
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:06pm
  A 20 year vacation in Mexico is right up his alley.
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:35pm
  Why not ice that cake and toss in co-conspirator Holder just for the hell of it?
  
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Zipit
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:46pm
Golly gee! Our relations with the rest of the world are just SO GREAT, because of Barack Hussein Obama!

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- chips1
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:09pm
  Our relationship with the United States isn’t that good either.
  
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- Zipit
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:59pm
  Ya got a point!
  
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- subic
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 8:07pm
  Hussein made a comment the other day, quote…”we can’t get past six months without some sort of crisis”, yea I wonder why?
  
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subic
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:39pm
Time for a special ops mission. MARSOC up!

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- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 4:51pm
  Like I said before, send in the Marines. Extract the prisoner and then level the place with an A-10.
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 5:40pm
  TSUNAMI_22
  
  You know that is not going to happen. It feels good to say. I know. What is better is to boycott Mexico. A 1% to 10% drop in tourism would get their attention.
  
  I figure there are 2 or 3 reasons to hold him.
  
  1. One the local police f/cked up. But the national government is backing them up because they do not want to lose face.
  2. America has the death penalty & Mexican nationals have committed capital offenses are subjected to the DP. Now Mexico has a bargaining chip for a period of time. Except that some Mexican nationals have committed a heinous crime & Hammar at most might have not crossed a t on his paperwork.
  3. Endemic anti-Americanism simmering under the surface.
  
  Boycott Mexico & the Powers that be will not want to see their bottom line hurt. Hammar will be inexplicably sprung from jail. They’ll have a cover story, but it would be because of real leverage like a boycott.
  
  It might work better if we target a city for boycott to make it tighter, We could boycott Tijuana. Say it is too dangerous to boot & have not active duty service member go there. Like minded civilians could follow suit. the town father would lean on the police chief & the Mexican government
  
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- TSUNAMI_22
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 6:10pm
  Walkabout,
  
  I don’t disagree with you. However, the only reason Obama won’t send in a SEAL team is because it isn’t needed to benefit him politically. He’ll violate Pakistani sovereignty after flying a team 1/2 way across the planet….but just over the Mexican border to rescue a Marine is just too difficult.
  
  Report this comment

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