In an interview with Fox News aired Thursday, retired Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi said he knows that people are angry at the nation of Mexico for his seven-month imprisonment, but he said the blame should be placed only on those responsible, not the whole country.
"We make mistakes," Tahmooressi told Fox News'
Greta Van Susteren. "We need to look after each other. … We all should care for each other and take the time to care and not blame anybody either – not blame a group as a whole."
Tahmooressi spent 214 days in a Mexican prison after he says he inadvertently got into a lane that took his truck across the Mexican border and couldn't turn around.
He was carrying guns that he legally owned in the United States, but which are illegal in Mexico, but said he admitted he had the weapons when he got to the border and asked to be allowed to turn around and re-enter the United States.
Instead, he was detained and eventually jailed. A judge finally released Tahmooressi on Friday because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after two tours in Afghanistan, and the Mexican government doesn't have adequate treatment for the condition.
Van Susteren was among a group of people, including Montel Williams, who kept Tahmorressi's name in the spotlight during his ordeal.
Tahmooressi detailed his time in prison, including his escape and suicide attempts, which came during his early days. He said he feared fellow inmates would attempt to kill him if he stayed in the prison.
"I felt like a target," he said. "I had been watching a lot of conspiracy films."
"If I would've played it cool with them I think things would have been cool," he added, but he believes the other inmates noticed he was worried and took advantage of his weakness.
Tahmooressi said he is improving and is looking forward to a normal life.
"I'm OK. I'm gonna be OK," he said.
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