Ted Poe: “27-year-old Marine Corps veteran Jon Hammar honorably served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. While he was on…”

“27-year-old Marine Corps veteran Jon Hammar honorably served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. While he was on Active Duty, Hammar's battalion was hit very hard in Fallujah, and 13 of his fellow Marines were killed in action. When he came home to America, he suffered from PTSD, as many of our warriors do. He spent time in a recovery facility in California to cope with the mental wounds of war. Then, in August, Jon decided to get some R&R. He wanted to go to Costa Rica with a fellow marine, Ian McDonough, and they wanted to go on a surfing trip. According to McDonough, surfing gave Jon peace of mind and really helped with his therapy. So the two packed up their car with their surfboards and began their journey from Florida to Costa Rica. Their trip took them through Texas to the border, in Brownsville, Texas. There they crossed the international border into Matamoros, Mexico, and that is as far as they got. On the trip, Jon carried with him a 100-year-old antique gun, a family heirloom that belonged to his grandfather. When they arrived at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Texas, Jon did what he was supposed to do; he filled out all the necessary paperwork. He talked to U.S. Customs and verified with them that the rifle did not violate any Mexican law. The two allegedly handed the Mexican officials the paperwork regarding the rifle.…”