A man released in October from a Mexican prison after being jailed there for seven months on charges of bringing guns into the country was released on bond Thursday after a DUI arrest in Twin City.
Andrew Paul Tahmooressi, 26, of Daytona Beach, Florida, was arrested around
8:45 p.m. Wednesday after "the Twin City Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a 2008 Nissan Altima" he was driving, according to a press release issued Thursday by Emanuel County Sheriff Tyson Stephens.
Tahmooressi was arrested and charged with the misdemeanor traffic offenses of driving under the influence, reckless driving, improper passing and open container violation, Stephens said.
Tahmooressi was transported to the Emanuel County jail, where he was held overnight and later released after posting a $4,000 property bond.
Tahmooressi, a former Marine, made international news in 2014 after being detained and imprisoned in Mexico for crossing the border with firearms and ammunition. He was released from prison in October and returned to the United States shortly thereafter.
According to media reports, Tahmooressi was arrested in Tijuana in March and spent seven months in prison on charges of carrying guns into the country. However, he was released Oct. 31 by a Mexican judge who ordered his release so he could return to the United States for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Tahmooressi, a Marine reservist, served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, reports state.
Stephens did not refer to specific claims but said in his statement that rumors circulating regarding Tahmooressi's DUI arrest are untrue.
"To dispel rumors of additional charges pending against Tahmooressi as a result of the traffic stop, our department can now verify that they are untrue," the statement reads. "This was a routine traffic stop by all standards and there was nothing out of the ordinary that occurred during the arrest.
"We certainly do not condone driving under the influence of any substance, but those matters must be taken care of by the judicial process," Stephens said. "It appears that Tahmooressi has no criminal history and no other arrests."
Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.