A Marine veteran and his children accidentally crossed into the border into Mexico with guns in his vehicle. He was detained by Mexican authorities and held for questioning.
Retired Marine First Sergeant Jeromie Slaughter, 38, was taking his kids on a hunting trip to a deer lease at Rocksprings, Texas, according to Click2Houston.com. The Marine wasn’t familiar with the area and had never visited the lease location.
Slaughter accidentally crossed the border on the Texas/Mexico border at the Del Rio crossing, about 70 miles from Rocksprings ranch and ended up on a road leading to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.
“He knew they were lost and when he seen the sign that said ‘no guns,’ you know, no weapons, he knew that he had gone too far,” Slaughter’s mother Beverly McKinney, told the Houston TV station.
Once Slaughter found himself on a bridge leading to Mexico, he realized he had made a wrong turn. He asked the Mexican authorities if he could turn around at the crossing checkpoint, but was denied. The authorities discovered three hunting rifles and several boxes of ammunition in his vehicle. The Mexican authorities detained the Slaughter and his children.
Eventually Slaughter called his mother, the news outlet reported. Slaughter’s family came down and picked up the children and escorted them back to the U.S.
High ranking authorities were contacted including the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and the assistant Secretary of State for Mexico. Eventually a settlement was negotiated with Slaughter’s release.
In August, 2014, Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi was released after an lengthy stay of 150 days in prison and several requests from family and elected officials calling for his release. Tahmooressi accidentally crossed into Mexico in Southern California.
Earlier in 2012, another Marine, Jon Hammar, was detained in Mexico and subsequently released after crossing in Texas. Hammar brought a sixty-year-old Sears and Roebuck .410 shotgun, according to Breitbart News. They reported that the Marine had been told by U.S. Customs officials that the gun would be allowed to be brought into Mexico, but it was deemed illegal after Mexican officials measured the barrel. Eventually Hammar was released and the charges were dropped.
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As a fellow a Marine, I know these gents are taught basic land navigation, but yet this story mentions three reasonably smart Marines doing the same stupid thing.
Remember the last time? The “uproar” over Tahmooressi, and then we are bombarded with the inevitable FB and social media pleas to release them, and politicians are all aflutter with the opportunity to stand on their soap box and spout off how Obama isn’t doing enough…and bla bla bla bla.
Luckily, and thankfully,this gentleman was released in short order.
Mexico AIN’T THE U.S. they have their own set of rules down there. If you want to stay out of a Mexican jail, don’t go within 5 miles of the US Mexico border whilst armed.
Problem solved,
ILL-PREPARED MARINE SNCO!
SMDH, as a retired Marine who served as both as an enlisted squad leader and a commissioned unit commander, I actually have little sympathy for the First Sergeant here.
The answer is SIMPLE: if you are going anywhere near the border of Mexico (especially with your family and/or guns) RECON YOUR FREAKING ROUTE, MARINE!
Whether you just do a good thorough map study, or maybe drive the route prior to your trip with your guns and family to rehearse your route, it’s what LEADERS DO, especially after our fiasco a couple years ago with Sergeant Tahmooressi.
That’s it – PERIOD – end of story!
Shame on you First Sergeant for endangering your family.
-AGGWAG
J.G. Payne, Jr.
LtCol (Ret)
U.S. Marine Corps
I’d be willing to give this Marine the benefit of the doubt, I’m pretty sure that he would not intentionally place his two kids in jeopardy. I’m sure he feels pretty low about now.
Chock this one up to a navigational error.
As a civilian, I thank all of you for your service.
As a civilian, I am willing to put up the first $50.00 to a Go fund Me Account to help this Marine pay for his navigational error.
Someone who knows 1st Sgt. Jeromie Slaughter set up the account and email me with the details.
Pat Rance
PatRanceFLA@gmail.com