Home for the Holidays: Jon Hammar, Marine jailed in Mexico, to be released from prison today (Update – He may be delayed past Fri.)

And according to reports, the gun charges are being dropped.

Fox News reports:

DEVELOPING: Jon Hammar, the U.S. Marine who has been in a Mexican prison since August on a dubious weapon charge is being released today, his father confirmed to FoxNews.com.

Jon Hammar Sr. said during a flight layover in Houston that he was on his way to get his son, after he and his wife Olivia received a call Thursday night from their attorney, Eddie Varon-Levy telling them their son was going to be released.

“I haven’t seen it in writing yet but Eddie has confirmed it with the court that Jon is being released today,” Hammar Sr. said. “The U.S. consulate said they would pick Jon up at the prison and accompany him to the border crossing.”

Jon’s father told reporters he’s  “excited and scared”, and won’t rest until his son is on the U.S. side of the border.

He said the two planned to bond on the the trip home to Palmetto Bay, Fla., which Hammar Sr. said would be made by car.

“Jon and I will drive back to Florida to give him some time alone, I don’t think he would do well on a flight back,” Hammar Sr. said.

Varon-Levy shared Hammar Sr.’s apprehension, saying his his optimism is tempered by security issues in Tamaulipas state which is controlled by Los Zetas Cartel. Hammar Jr.’s life was threatened while in prison resulting in a midnight extortion attempt from the prison.

“His security is at stake until he cross the border into the U.S.,” Varon-Levy said.

According to the NY Daily News, Mexican diplomats in the U.S. will not confirm Hammar’s impending release, today.

“At this time we will not be providing any comments confirming or denying this information,” saidLydia Antonio, a spokeswoman for the Embassy of Mexico.

Via Gateway Pundit, this morning on the radio, Bill O’Reilly excoriated the US media, calling them “lemmings” for not picking up on the Hammar story:

John Bolton went on Fox’s “On the Record” with Dana Perino filling in for Greta Van Susteren, last night to discuss the issue. He said that there was very little evidence that the State Dept. had given the case the attention it deserves.

UPDATE:

The NYTs reports that Hammar may be delayed past Friday because he’s determined to retrieve his confiscated Winnebago that he drove to Mexico. His mother, who along with his father flew to Brownsville, Texas –  across the border from Matamoros, said  that she expected her son home by Christmas.

She added that his arrival might be delayed past Friday because even after a horrendous four months, enduring death threats and ransom demands from members of Mexican drug cartels, her son was determined to get back the confiscated 1972 Winnebago that he drove to Mexico.

“It’s really important to him, and we feel like it’s going to bring him some closure,” she said.