Trucker Who Made Wrong Turn Freed From Mexican Prison

[aGameOfThrones]

A Dallas truck driver is enjoying his first weekend of freedom in seven months after what his employer said was an "honest mistake" landed him in a Mexican prison.

Jabin Bogan was transporting a load of ammunition to a Phoenix gun shop in April when he said he made a wrong turn, causing him to cross the border into Mexico, where strict firearms laws are enforced.

"He told me he was coming from the warehouse, missed a turn, and was stuck one-way going south," said Bogan's manager at Demco Express, Denis Mekenye. "At that point he asked a cop how to make a U-turn and was told to go three or four miles, but at that point was in Mexico."

Bogan was arrested when he tried to re-enter the United States near El Paso, Texas, with 268,000 rounds of ammunition in his truck.

He was released on Friday after his mother paid a fine, ABC News affiliate WFAA reported.

The father of one had an emotional reunion with his family over the holiday weekend.

"My son, that's my motivation," he told WFAA. "That kept me going every day. My mama is my strength - without my mama I wouldn't be no where now. My family is my pride and joy."

If convicted, Bogan could have faced more than 25 years in prison.


http://news.yahoo.com/trucker-made-wrong-turn-freed-mexican-prison-172615544--abc-news-topstories.html

[TruckinMike]

The border roads are ridiculous. I can see how the poor fellow ended up in that position. I was hauling some heavy equipment that was going to Mexico via Laredo. Before I dropped the equipment off at the cross border carrier, in Laredo, I had to take it to US Customs --> its on the one way road to Mexico. Anyway, After getting my load processed and papers stamped I got back on the road --> and drove towards MEXICO. Right before the border booths I found a Customs cop directing traffic to the booths --- I told him my situation and he told me to follow him. So, I did. He walked across the median...through the grass...and so I drove through the grass across the median. Sounds unbelievable, but its true.Yes, I know, Un-real. I'm required by law to visit Customs but had NO way of getting back out other than going on towards Mexico and driving across the grass to get back to the US. ---> KRAZY!

[KCIndy]

The border roads are ridiculous. I can see how the poor fellow ended up in that position.

100% agree.

I got into a heated discussion on this point when I posted a defense of the guy under the "comments" section of my local newspaper where the story was carried. An incredible number of people were skeptical and of the opinion that he was a gunrunner or something.

But you said it - it is a crazy setup. And even for those drivers who aren't taking stuff to Mexico, when running I-10 through El Paso it's really pretty easy to get caught in the wrong lane and get dumped onto that one-way chute right down to the border.

The only "mistake" made by the driver in this case was trying to be a decent, law-abiding guy who was trying to follow procedure. I've been following this case and I'm glad to see that he's finally getting out.

[paulbot24]

Seven months is ridiculous. It's not like he was packing heat in the cab and "forgot" to mention it. A shipment of 268,000 rounds of ammo. Wow.

[KCIndy]

Seven months is ridiculous. It's not like he was packing heat in the cab and "forgot" to mention it. A shipment of 268,000 rounds of ammo. Wow.

It was a commercial shipment, on its way to a gun store. The poor guy got stuck in a one-way traffic chute that funneled him into Mexico. As TruckinMike noted above, there was no good way to turn around.

Apparently the U.S. Customs guards told the driver to drive into Mexico to make the U-turn, then come back. The driver was "caught" by the Mexican authorities as he was trying to leave Mexico and get back into the U.S.

The ridiculous part was that the driver was arrested by the Mexican authorities and held in a cage for seven months until his family could pay enough ransom to get him out.

[Dr.3D]

I understand you can spend a lot of time in a Mexican prison if you are even found to have a single round of ammo in your possession when crossing the border.

[paulbot24]

I must not have made my point well. I completely agree. I think it is an outrage. Why didn't our nanny government try to sort this out, considering he was coming back into the US? I was caught very stupidly very buzzed trying to drive back across the border into the US. According to Arizona law, an official DUI must be done by an American police officer. So I waited until one arrived and by the time he got there (two hours later) I passed it and was free to go. I got better treatment for being foolish than this poor guy got for being honest and making a wrong turn. Seven months in a Mexican jail. I'm glad he's finally back home.

[paulbot24]

I understand you can spend a lot of time in a Mexican prison if you are even found to have a single round of ammo in your possession when crossing the border.

Every year, being a border state we hear stories like this. One man spent about six months down there for having a single round in the bed of his truck. He was an avid hunter and often kept everything locked up in the bed when he would go hunting and one must have fallen out and rolled to the back. Who knows how long it had been there. Rocky Point is not worth it folks.

[Carson]

Coming back from Mexico can be sort of tricky in Tijuana. You've got to be careful or you get stuck in a loop and end up making a big circle back around past the Bullring. Wow! I see it is gone now.

http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20070214-9999-1m14ring.html

I also remember a place on the United States side with a detour trap that would keep you looping. I'm thinking it was around Phoenix.


San Francisco is just something else all together. There are no highways through it. Every one leading in just pretty much dumps you on the side streets for a grand tour of the city whether you want one or not.

[KCIndy]

San Francisco is just something else all together. There are no highways through it. Every one leading in just pretty much dumps you on the side streets for a grand tour of the city whether you want one or not.

Yeah, I took one of those "grand tours" once - in a semi with a 53" trailer. :(

Took me a week to get my nerves calmed down... and by then I was in South Carolina!


Moral of the story: It's really, really easy to take a wrong turn. When you're driving something big and long, like the trucker in the Mexico/ammo story, getting turned around or back on course can be next to impossible.

[Czolgosz]

Were you smuggling Keebler Elves?

[KCIndy]

Were you smuggling Keebler Elves?

I wish I had been! I would have made the little b*st*rds get out and stop traffic for me while I made a couple of really tight turns!! :D

[Czolgosz]

I wish I had been! I would have made the little b*st*rds get out and stop traffic for me while I made a couple of really tight turns!! :D

lul :D

[John F Kennedy III]

1. I'm glad it wasn't TMike :p

2. Oh but the federal government can run guns and drugs across the border both ways 24/7/365...