U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) issued a warm welcome to former U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, released last night after an imprisonment in Mexico that lasted for 214 days.
“Sgt. Tahmooressi has served his country faithfully and fought for the freedom of others, but he was wrongly held in Mexico,” said Smith, who participated at a hearing on Capitol Hill Oct. 1 entitled Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi: Our Marine in Mexican Custody. “I am glad he is home with his family. And while I welcome his release with joy, it is long overdue.” Click here to watch an October 2014 video of Smith at the congressional hearing calling for the U.S. government to more actively facilitate his release.
The House committee heard testimony from Sgt. Tahmooressi’s mother Jill Tahmooressi; Lt. Commander Montel B. Williams, USN, (Retired); Mr. Pete Hegseth, CEO of the Concerned Veterans for America; and Sgt. Robert Buchanan, USMC, (Retired) who served with Sgt. Tahmooressi in Afghanistan.
At the hearing Mrs. Tahmooressi described her son as "privileged to serve the war on terror" and "willing to lose his life for freedom, liberty and elimination of oppression." According to various accounts, the Marine veteran accidentally drove over the U.S.-Mexican border and was not allowed to reverse his vehicle. According to news reports, a Mexican judge released the former Marine Friday for humanitarian reasons on a recommendation from the Mexican Attorney General's Office.
All witnesses expressed concerns for the safety and wellbeing of Sgt. Tahmooressi and the inaction on the part of this Administration to make any effort to contact the family in their time of need or to address this injustice directly with the Government of Mexico. Smith stressed how Sgt. Tahmooressi’s lengthy incarceration and declining health could have long-term negative consequences for his wellbeing.
Smith has worked on numerous cases where Americans citizens have been unjustly incarcerated overseas, including the imprisonment of American Jacob Ostreicher in Bolivia, or wrongfully separated from their loved ones, as in the case of David Goldman of New Jersey and his son Sean.
Smith is a co-sponsor of H Res 620, a resolution calling upon the President to utilize the full authority of his office to secure the release of Sgt. Tahmooressi, and for the Government of Mexico to return him to the United States with all possible speed so he can receive the appropriate medical assistance.
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