SAN DIEGO – For weeks, the mother of a U.S. Marine who made a wrong turn at the Mexican border and ended up over the international boundary has waited for President Obama to respond to a petition on behalf of Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, 25.
In fact, the number of signatures was surging past 130,000.
So when the question of presidential intervention in Tahmooressi’s case was posed to White House press secretary Josh Earnest, hopes were raised again.
But only briefly.
“My heart is breaking,” said Jill Tahmooressi, the sergeant’s mother, who has been working on his behalf since he was detained in Mexico for having several weapons in his vehicle.
The weapons are legal in the United States but not Mexico, and he was detained when he inadvertently crossed over the boundary in late March. He’s been behind bars there since.
“President Obama allowing this honorable, decorated Marine to be held hostage in a jail in Mexico. … I just don’t understand…