More Than 134,000 Petition Obama Admin. to Demand Release of Sgt. Tahmooressi — Here’s the Response They Received Instead

More than 134,000 people signed a petition asking the Obama administration to demand the release of U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi from a Mexican prison. Tahmooressi, who is reportedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, has been imprisoned for nearly five months after being arrested for unintentionally crossing into Mexico with firearms.

The White House responded to the popular petition on Friday, calling for Mexican authorities to handle the Marine’s case “expeditiously” rather than demanding his release.

Read the White House’s full response below:

The U.S. State Department continues to provide extensive consular assistance to Mr. Tahmooressi, and will do so until his case is resolved. As in all cases when a U.S. citizen is arrested overseas, our goal is to see that Mr. Tahmooressi is treated fairly during the judicial process with the hope that he can receive the support, both emotional and medical, that he may require now and at the conclusion of the proceedings.

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