March 12--A Marine reservist held for seven months in a Mexican prison on weapons charges has been arrested in Georgia on suspicion of reckless driving and refusing to take a drunk-driving test.
Andrew Tahmooressi, released by a Mexican judge in October so that he could return to the U.S. and get treatment for PTSD, was arrested in Emanuel County about 180 miles from Atlanta.
"We certainly ask for and invite prayers for the Tahmooressi family during this difficult time," said a spokesman for the family. "Our primary goal is getting him the help he needs, and ensuring he is not held up to undue public scrutiny as the result of his mental illness."
The 26-year-old Tahmooressi is being held in jail, awaiting a bail hearing, the spokesman said.
An open container of alcohol was allegedly found in Tahmooressi's vehicle when he was stopped Wednesday night after passing in a no-passing zone.
Tahmooressi, a sergeant, served in two combat tours in Afghanistan. After leaving active duty, he moved to the family home in Florida then traveled to San Diego in hopes of receiving treatment at the Veterans Affairs hospital in La Jolla.
He was arrested by Mexican authorities March 31 at the San Ysidro border crossing after guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were found in his pickup truck. He insisted that he crossed the border by mistake, not to sell the weapons.
His mother, Jill, campaigned tirelessly in the media for her son. Talk-show host Montel Williams and actor Gary Sinise also called for his release, along with numerous politicians.
After four hearings in a federal court in Tijuana, a judge on Oct. 31 ordered Tahmooressi's release from the prison in Tecate and the charges against him dropped.
A court-appointed psychiatrist had urged the judge to end the case so that Tahmooressi could return to the U.S. and receive treatment.
