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Former Marine Reveals Deplorable Conditions in Mexican Prison (& How He Got Through It) in O’Reilly Interview

Jan. 15, 2013 11:09am Erica Ritz

Former Marine Jailed in Mexico for Four Months Speaks With Bill OReilly About Imprisonment | Fox News

(Photo: Fox News)

Former U.S. Marine Jon Hammar spoke with Bill O’Reilly Monday night after being released from the Mexican prison where he had spent more than four months on what his mother described as a “trumped-up” gun charge.

Hammar had been scheduled to speak with O’Reilly on January 4, but was unable to make it at the last minute due to health issues resulting from his imprisonment. He had been released just four days before Christmas, and that’s where the interview began.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Hammar said in response to O’Reilly’s inquiry. “I was dehydrated, malnourished, I had a lung infection, stomach issues, a number of things…I lasted the majority of the time without getting sick, but [in] the end is when I started getting a little ill.”

The two then went over how Hammar ended up in prison, having been told by U.S. officials in Texas that he could cross into Mexico with a hunting shotgun as long as he filled out the appropriate paperwork.

When he got into Mexico, however, it was clear by the wait and bureaucracy that something was wrong.

“They didn’t let us know that we were going to jail, though,” he recalled. “They made it sound like we were just going to a place to pay a fee.”

(Photo via Fox News)

After being detained for four days his friend was able to leave, but Hammar was eventually transferred to prison.

When O’Reilly asked about the violence Hammar faced and whether he was forced to fight anyone, the former marine responded: “I think I did alright, cause I’m alive right now. There was not much of a fight….they roughed me up a little bit, but it was quickly resolved.”

What was perhaps more difficult were the constant threats and phone calls to his family demanding money.

The U.S. Embassy was soon able to transfer Hammar out of the general population, and he began passing the time by reading.

“I read The Last Stand of Fox Company– it’s about the Marine Corps in North Korea, and I also read the Bible. I read all the whole Old Testament, and almost all of the New Testament,” he said.

Months into his imprisonment, Hammar said, he did begin to get frustrated with “all the authorities,” but was quick to say that he got out in the end.

“It worked out without anyone getting hurt,” he shrugged.

Watch the entire clip, which also includes Hammar thanking O’Reilly and others who publicized his case, via Fox News:

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Comments (21)

ElPasoTom
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 10:58pm
I am happy he survived his experience, but WTF do Americans expect from a third world nation, 15% of whose citizens have escaped to the North.

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PurrrpleMtnMajesty
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 8:42pm
This occurred in AUGUST…..well before the election. We didn’t even hear of it until December.
Where was the administration’s help? Certainly wasn’t with the American Pastor jailed & facing death
in an Iranian prision for the past few months. Welcome to Amerika. It doesn’t matter if you like your stay or not, you are here just the same.

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blackyb
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 6:32pm
That’s what I mean. They come up and even get to vote. They get goodies, freebies, an education and when one of ours goes there and makes an honest mistake or is set up. This is how they are treated? Perhaps that welcome mat should be brought inside from our country.

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LeadNotFollow
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 4:47pm
U.S. prisons should be pure H*LL like Mexican prisons, so there would be no repeat offenders.

Our prisons are so clean and cushy, that life on the inside is better than life on the outside, for a lot of folks. So why not commit crimes and get sent to prison over and over?

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jungle J
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 4:46pm
now you know why you went to Marine Corps boot camp.

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Frederick_Douglass_Republican
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 3:34pm
And I heard today that the parasitic rats of Mexico – about 48,000 of them, signed a petition demanding stricter gun laws in the USA.
Another reason I feel so good about becoming a Life Member of the NRA yesterday. Thats the best medicine for stories like this one. Thanks NRA. I needed that.

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- blackyb
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 6:39pm
  Obama can always get ours and give them to the Mexican drug cartels and criminals. Wonder how much he would get for them. Then they can come up here and raise cain with them. (note I said cain)
  
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SAVETHEUNION
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 2:10pm
This is another example of how Obama doesn’t give a **** about Americans unjustly imprisoned or defending Americans (Benghazi) under assault. He is a fraud who has utterly violated the oath of office and his duty to protect and defend against all enemies foreign and domestic. Impeach the Marxist!

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grimjack3791
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 2:04pm
Mexican prisons have deplorable conditons? Who knew?

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TemperBay
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 1:50pm
When a people, Mexicans included, migrate to a different country, in this case the U.S., they bring their culture with them – their culture of graft, of corruption, of female submission, of racism and bigotry, of domestic violence, etc..

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Xiccarph
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 11:49am
Why anyone would go into Mexico, or any other country south of the border with any firearm, even a non-functional matchlock, is beyond me. Just asking for currupted trouble.

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- searching for the Truth
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 1:26pm
  Some kids have armed guards – still stupid.
  
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- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 4:38pm
  The same question that’s been bugging me for a month. Mexico with a gun = mexican prison= deplorable conditions, any body surprised???
  
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paulwbrown
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 11:25am
I have been very sympathetic to Hammar’s case with the apparent lack of real interest from the top of the administration. It was clearly a case of injustice by the Mexican authorities. I was surprised to hear hm talk about his experience in the Mexican prison. The message that I got was that except for a few occasions, he really did not feel that threatened while incarcerated. It was not until his last few days of incarceration that he got sick. And surprisingly, he did not express any anger at the Mexican authorities.

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searching for the Truth
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 11:22am
Please! Mom and Dad, while this young man is still in shock, appraise your son on the facts of life.

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- raabhimself
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 11:44am
  At the least, state what you are talking about with your “…appraise your son on the facts of life.” comment. I just hope it’s not about his reading of the Bible… If so, quite a few people have read it whether they have faith in it or not… He was in a Mexican prison… I doubt they have the vast amounts of books American prisons have…
  
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- OlderCowGirl
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 3:04pm
  You must mean: never ever take a gun into Mexico where guns are outlawed.
  
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- searching for the Truth
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 5:55pm
  I had a Mexican friend of mine tell me years ago “never , ever take a personal vehicle to Mexico, rent one instead !” Goes along with other things – jails , killers , and the basic whatnots.
  
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Landon410
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 11:20am
lets treat illigal aliens from mexico the same way…..

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- blackyb
  Posted on January 15, 2013 at 6:35pm
  If we did, then Obama woud never win an election as easily. Of course there are the other illegals from other countries. Oh, well. Seems like Americans will just have to draw the line somewhere. We have no leadership, only the illegals do in their country and ours as well. Where do you find a good skin dye? Would that help? I wants me a ‘bama phoo and respec.’
  
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sempek1
Posted on January 15, 2013 at 11:18am
The State Department and our (?) so-called president ignored this issue. Bill deserves much praise for helping this man get out of a horrible Mexican prison.

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