Car full of weapons lands US soldier in Mexican jail

By then, he said, he had passed the only U-turn areas on the bridge, and it was too late to turn around because Torres had driven into vehicle-inspection lanes enclosed by concrete barriers.

He sought help from a Mexican border guard, who told him he could turn around further into Mexico. But 15 feet later, Mexican federal police stopped his car at a checkpoint. Torres, who does not speak Spanish, said he showed them the guns and his Army ID.

He was arrested and initially charged with smuggling illegal weapons, as well as possession of restricted guns and cartridges. He said he now faces only the gun-possession charge.

Court documents in Mexico are not public, and the U.S. consulate is not authorized to discuss his case. When American citizens are accusing of breaking a law in another country, the State Department generally does not intervene except to ensure the foreign government follows its own laws.

Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concluded that Torres was not smuggling weapons into Mexico to sell them. ATF spokesman Tom Crowley said the agency reported its findings to Mexican authorities.

A lawyer has been appointed to Torres, but his case is mostly being handled behind closed doors. His Army assignment in Honduras is on hold.

At the jail, Torres said he sleeps on a thin mat on the floor of his cell, which has a bathroom and shower, that he shares with four other men.

He said he has managed to win over his cellmates, who have assured him of protection in the violence-plagued jail. They have also offered him food from their visitors, he said. One man loaned him a clean shirt.

"It's not as bad as the movies make it out to be," Torres said.

The jail operates on a cash system, and Torres relies on the U.S. consulate to bring him money from his wallet for phone calls or extra food. But that money is rapidly running out.