LOS ESCONDIDOS WILL HOST PROTEST RIDE TO FREE MARINE JAILED IN MEXICO

By Juan Montoya
For the past 127 days Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi has languished in a Mexican jail in Tijuana after having crossed the US-Mexico border where he was charged with bringing guns and ammunition used by the military into the country.
He was not charged with weapons trafficking.
His attorney Fernando Benitez said Tahmooressi was upbeat and that he was optimistic that his client would eventually be be released. On Monday,  the Marine attended an evidentiary hearing where he faced his accusers, two Mexican soldiers and two Mexican border agents who arrested him.
This is  just the latest incident where U.S. military veterans have run afoul of Mexico's gun laws. Recently, John Hammar, a combat Marine was held at the Matamoros federal prison on similar charges. In that case, intervention by highly-placed government officials and Mexican business groups worked to secure his release.
Toward that end, the local chapter of the Los Escondidos Motorcycle Club will hold a protest run Saturday to bring attention to the plight of the imprisoned soldier.
President Dennis Rendon said the group – under the auspices off nationwide U.S. Defenders – will hold a protest rally in solidarity with the Marine this Saturday.
"We want to let him know that he is not forgotten," Rendon said. "The U.S. Defenders of Region 10 will have a flag raising at 9 a.m. at the Brownsville Veteran's Park. After that we will gather and prepare for our Marine Patriot ride to the Gateway Bridge on International Boulevard by UTB and Ft. Brown Auditorium at 10 a.m. We invite everyone to come and show their support for our brother Marine."
Among some of the speakers to address the rally will be Texas Senator Eddie Lucio, Larry Smith, Iraq war veteran, past commander VFW Post 2035 and Marine Vietnam veteran Luis Lucio, and Los Escondidos Army veteran Pat Burchfield.
Tahmooressi served two tours in Afghanistan. He told his lawyers that he had made a wrong turn and was trying to get back across the border when he was arrested.
The Marine's lawyer asserted during a hearing yesterday that Tahmooressi's civil rights were violated because he was not provided a translator to adequately explain why he was being arrested. He also alleges the 26-year-old Marine was held at the port of entry, where he crossed from San Ysidro, Calif., for more than eight hours before being transported to the federal police headquarters and formally charged.
"The technical result of that would be that any and all evidence derived from that illegal time frame, the first eight hours ... could not be used to predicate the judge's verdict on it," Benitez told Fox News. Mexico does not have jury trials, and Tahmooressi's fate is in the hands of a single jurist -- Judge Victor Octavio Luna Escobedo.
After the hearing, Benitez spoke to media in Mexico about the two customs agents who testified Monday.
Rendon hopes the rally in Brownsville is well attended and will indicate a strong show of support for the jailed Marine. For more information, call (956) 639-9380, or email him at rendond51@gmail.com.