Busted with 267 pounds of pot and a DD214 that says ‘US citizen.' Should this Marine have been deported?

[Roel 7,192]

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/08/14/busted-with-267-pounds-of-pot-and-a-dd214-that-says-us-citizen-should-this-marine-have-been-deported/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Socialflow+ARM

 

"They said they were going to deport me,” Martinez said.

“I said, ‘You can’t, I’m a U.S. citizen.’”

Their reply shocked him.

“No, you’re not.”

The next two weeks were a blur. He appeared before an immigration judge. Jose Maria Martinez believed to his core he was a citizen, because in the box on his official military discharge papers where it asks “U.S. citizen,” the Marine Corps had checked “Yes.”

But when the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service looked at his records, it found nothing in the files to support that he’d completed the naturalization process, an official said on the condition of not being named.

[ThomasNC1988 762]

Well that's a tricky case but honestly he is probably living better in Mexico than he might be here as a convicted felon.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

There was an army guy also who after he got out, he was an LPR, then got busted delivering like a suitcase of 50lbs of cocaine I think and that made him deportable... then of course he went and tried to beg to be able to retro actively naturalize but only because he got busted, didn't care to naturalize while in the service (even though it's easy to do while serving, they even had a 'fast track' system for several years for LPR's and even illegals who served to naturalize.) So I kind of don't feel too sorry for him when he chose to traffic drugs and then wants to cry and beg but he could have taken care of things years before.

 

At least the guy in this story you shared admits he messed up badly.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[Roel 7,192]

I'm kind of conflicted on this one. One hand - almost 300 pounds of weed! Over twice my weight in drugs lol. So the conviction is 100% right. 

 

I don't understand how he didn't know that he wasn't a citizen.. I mean. That's something a person should be 100% sure about- either have US passport or not. You either went through oath ceremony or not. But maybe back in the days it looked different. He said he went through naturalization classes but never even finished those. Imo it sounds like - on some level- he knew he wasn't US citizen.. 

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

Sad story, but I'm surprised he thought a DD214 was a source document for citizenship........

[TNJ17 1,329]

Oh whatever. That is nothing short of stupid. How he thought he was gonna get away with that much drugs is beyond me. And I don’t believe his little story that he didn’t know he wasn’t a citizen. Did you apply for naturalization? Did you take an oath? Whatever. Everything that he did as a US citizen is a misinterpretation so I don’t see a path back for him at all. Also he talks about being republican and a trump supporter and supports the wall, well guess what dude, you’re exactly the type of person trump hates. Mexican, drug dealer. Not sorry to be harsh and I’m glad that it’s always the trump supporters who suffer under trump. Maybe it will open their eyes. 

[BenevolentSith 6]

The guy deserved it. Glad he was deported.