Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R., Fla.) and 68 of her fellow members of Congress sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urging them to take diplomatic action to ensure the safety and homecoming of Jon Hammar, a U.S. citizen and Marine veteran being held in a Mexican prison.
According to the letter, Hammar has been wrongly imprisoned since his Aug. 13 arrest. He was arrested during a surfing trip meant to help him cope with his PTSD. He and his friend had attempted to legally register his shotgun, trusting information from the Customs and Border Patrol that this was okay.
The letter calls for immediate action to bring Hammar home:
A bipartisan group of my colleagues and I are extremely concerned over the continued incarceration of Jon Hammar in a Mexican jail. Our letter to Secretary Clinton and Secretary Napolitano lets them know that we find this situation unacceptable. The details of Jon’s incarceration that the family has relayed to me are outrageous and appalling. This must be settled now and Jon must be allowed to come home immediately. …
This case is of the utmost importance, and we would like these matters resolved as quickly as possible so that Jon can return home to be with his family before Christmas. Jon put his life on the line for our country, and the United States government has a responsibility to him and his family to do everything within its power to bring him home.