BY LINDA BENTLEY | JUNE 18, 2014
Shield Tactical and Riders USA rally to release Marine jailed in Mexico
Sullivan said some reports of the weekend’s rally said bikers were going to Mexico to break Tahmooressi out of jail, which was simply not true
SAN YSIDRO, Calif. – On Saturday, June 14, a group of about 40-50 bikers from Arizona, Texas, California and other states rode to the San Ysidro/Tijuana, Mex. border crossing to rally for the release of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, who has been jailed in Mexico since March 31 when he missed an exit as he was going to meet some friends for dinner in San Yisidro and accidentally wound up at the Tijuana border crossing with no way to turn around and with three firearms in his trunk.
If convicted, Tahmooressi, who stated he had no intention of leaving the United States, faces six to 21 years in prison unless the Mexican attorney general’s office requests the case be dismissed.
Following President Obama’s announcement that we leave no man behind, in defense of his questionable release of five Taliban terrorists in exchange for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, said to be a deserter who was held captive in Afghanistan for five years, Mike Sullivan with Riders United for a Sovereign America (Riders USA), who attended the border rally, as well as others, questioned what Obama was doing to secure the release of Tahmooressi.
According to Sullivan, Tahmooressi, 25, who was honorably discharged in 2012 after serving two tours of duty in Afghanistan, was recently moved from the jail in Tijuana to one a little further south at Rosarita Beach.
Tahmooressi had driven from Florida to San Diego, where he planned to move, and had all his belongings in his vehicle.
Tahmooressi’s mother, Jill Tahmooressi, who lives in Weston, Fla. has been frustrated by Mexico’s legal system, fired her son’s original attorney Alejandro Osuna back in May, and recently fired Attorney Lamberto Jesus Esquer Dabdoub, whom she enlisted from a list of attorneys maintained by the State Department, and who appeared to be nothing more than an unevaluated lawyer plucked from a phone book.
Howevever, the termination of Tahmooressi’s lawyer may be delaying the legal process and potential release of Tahmooressi.
John Harrington of Shield Tactical, a sports and outdoor recreation equipment store in Shiner Texas, who organized last weekend’s rally, has posted what he’s calling a Cinco de Julio event, with staging for the rally at 10 a.m. on Friday July 4 at San Diego Harley-Davidson, 4645 Morena Blvd., San Diego, CA 92117, and a ride to the border on Saturday, July 5.
Harrington said, “Saturday, July 5 we ride to Mexico from San Diego. It is up to our State Department and the Mexican government to determine the nature of said ride. We can celebrate the release of our Marine or we can protest. It’s up to them.”
For more information on the Rally and Ride (Cinco de Julio) event visit https://www.facebook.com/ShieldTactical/events.
Sullivan said some reports of last weekend’s rally said bikers were going to Mexico to break Tahmooressi out of jail, which was simply not true. He said they rode to the border to bring attention to his imprisonment and rally for his release.
