We could have our marine back in a week IF the Commanding Officer at Camp Pendleton had a pair of balls. All it would take is for him to put Tijuana off limits. The economic impact would cripple the cesspool of a town.
It’s a disgrace that he didn’t do that the day he found out a marine was kidnapped by the corrupt Mexican government.
I submit it is not a matter of having balls.
First, the CO may have received direct orders from the Pentagon to not declare TJ off limits. Secondly, there is the sticky question of whether this Marine is guilty of trafficking arms. With regard to the latter, the CO is no doubt better informed than you and I via military intelligence (we do have friends in strange places).
Tijuana IS off-limits, DoD-wide. And a lot more parts of Mexico too, for specific branches at least: http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20130814/NEWS/308140006/New-rules-make-much-Mexico-off-limits-Marines