The painful ordeal of Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi

Mother of Marine jailed in Mexico with the latest on her son’s condition

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," September 26, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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O'REILLY: Thanks for staying with us. I'm Bill O'Reilly.

In the "Personal Story" segment tonight, the painful ordeal of --

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-- Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi after making a wrong turn on the southern border. The sergeant entered Mexico, was found with three guns in his vehicle.

He was immediately arrested, taken to prison where he has languished for six months. This week, two former Marines, Terry Sharp, Alan Brown, both 63 years old, arrived at the White House after walking hundreds of miles trying to persuade President Obama to get involved.

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Joining us now from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jill Tahmooressi, the sergeant's mother. First of all, do you talk to your son every day on the phone. What's your contact with him.

JILL TAHMOORESSI, MOTHER OF SGT. ANDREW TAHMOORESSI: Yes, I consider myself his lifeline. He calls me as often as he can, which is typically every day.

O'REILLY: OK, good. What is his physical condition right now.

TAHMOORESSI: He's highly despondent.

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He's now on 179 days of incarceration. He's in solitary confinement. His only access is his thoughts and his mind. And he does have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

So, he is definitely losing hope and confidence that he's going to be able to get out of jail.

O'REILLY: Now, he's in solitary for his own protection. Is that right.

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TAHMOORESSI: Absolutely. When he was incarcerated in La Mesa Penitentiary, he nearly lost his life at the hands of the inmates.

And then he was shackled in four-point restraints for 35 days. Now, at least, he is in an accredited prison where he is under 24/7 guard, so he does have more sense of a confidence that he's not in physical threat.

O'REILLY: OK, so is that right. Now, can't you send him books and things to -- can't he have a little computer and things like that to keep his mind occupied.

TAHMOORESSI: Absolutely no. He's not allowed a radio, television. He's allowed his Bible which, of course, I sent him immediately, and one book in his cell right now.

He's got T.D. Jakes' "Unforgiveness." He has absolutely no way to exercise. And, in fact, the other day, he used the bucket in his cell that he cleans his clothes in, and he fell and thought that --

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-- he broke his arm. So, it's not --

O'REILLY: All right, so it's a bleak and ghastly situation. And I think everybody would agree with that.

Just as review, your son was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He served in Iraq, he was in a fire fight, he got a head injury.

La Jolla, Va. diagnosed him. You've made that quite clear to Mexican authorities that he has the Post-Traumatic Stress, correct.

TAHMOORESSI: Absolutely. On April 14th, I went to the V.A. Andrew signed me over HIPPA clearance and I hand it to the State Department in Tijuana, Mexico.

His full V.A. record diagnosed March 12th with PTSD where he attended an orientation program on March 20th, 10 days before his wrong turn.

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He was fully vested and very anxious to recover from his symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder.

O'REILLY: OK, so that -- just on that alone, the Mexican President ,Nieto, should have released him on humanitarian grounds. And every decent --

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-- person understands that. Nieto is a coward.

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Why did he have the guns in the vehicle. What did he tell you he had the guns in the vehicle?

TAHMOORESSI: He had all of his possessions in his vehicle. He was moving out to San Diego.

He had packed up everything he owned in Florida, including his three U.S. legally-purchased --

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-- firearms. One firearm was a shotgun that he actually purchased, his first one, in 2007, when he went fishing in Alaska -- Kodiak, Alaska, for six months.

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O'REILLY: All right, so all of it was legal. Now, there has been rumors that he had been to Mexico before, he's trying to sell the guns. And all of that is B.S., right.

TAHMOORESSI: He is not charged with smuggling --

O'REILLY: Nothing. Just possession.

TAHMOORESSI: -- or attempt to sell, only possession, which he -- they were not found. He stopped at the first person who could help him and he said, "Please help me get turned around. I have three guns in my truck. I got lost and made a wrong turn."

O'REILLY: OK, now, --

TAHMOORESSI: Yes.

O'REILLY: -- John Kerry, have you spoken to him, Secretary of State?

TAHMOORESSI: Never. I know that he raised the issue which, I believe, Andrew is a very much grave concern and not an issue. He raised the issue May 21st.

O'REILLY: All right, but he should have given you a call. I think Mr. Kerry --

TAHMOORESSI: Have not heard from the Executive level, no.

O'REILLY: All right. He should have given you a call, that's for sure. President Obama, did you hear from him or any of his staff?

TAHMOORESSI: Finally, 90 days after I garnered the 100,00 signatures on the We, the People White House Petition on August 28th, I received a generic e-mail response as did the other 134,000 signatures.

O'REILLY: That's it. OK, so we implore the President to get directly involved with Nieto.

There is a hearing on Monday with your son. We'll report that. Is that correct.

TAHMOORESSI: Mr. O'Reilly, there's a Congressional hearing. I'm asking that President Obama reach across to the Bipartisan Congress to have them please come back to D.C., the the Foreign Affairs Committee Members. There's a hearing October 1st.

O'REILLY: OK, but I believe the President could do it himself, that he could do it himself. On a humanitarian basis, he could appeal to Nieto. And I think that's what should happen to get him out of there.

So, we will follow the story. We'll continue to put pressure on the Mexican authorities. Do not go there. Do not travel to Mexico. Do not buy their stuff.

And we're sorry you have to endure this, Mrs. Tahmooressi. You're very brave and a good mom to help your son.

TAHMOORESSI: Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly.

O'REILLY: Now, we'll do everything we can here.

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