SACRAMENTO-

President of Mexico Enrique Pena Nieto was the guest of Governor Brown for a luncheon at the Stanford Mansion, but outside his greeting different than the cordial affair hosted by the governor.

Governor Brown was the president’s guest during a trade mission to Mexico six weeks ago.

Armed forces supporters held a noisy demonstration asking that the Mexican president release Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi from a Mexican prison. The marine who served two tours in Afghanistan was arrested outside Tijuana in May for possessing three guns.

Tahmooressi says he meant to visit friends in San Ysidro but missed a turnoff.

His mother and supporters say Tahmooressi was not allowed to turn around when approaching the border crossing and there was no intent on entering Mexico with guns.

“We are here today to demand that Mexican President Nieto release our marine,” Assemblyman Tim Donnelly said, while a crowd of a hundred supporters cheered.

Protestor Mona Kreiter said Tahmooressi’s release is in the interest of justice.

“All the steps we have done for Mexico and their citizens and the Mexican citizens here in this country and they won’t release the one marine that made a mistake, that’s absurd,” Kreiter said.

Also protesting was a group that claims Nieto is a catering to large corporations rather than the people, that he bought his office through a rigged election, and that he has failed to do anything about American born children of Mexican heritage who were deported by the United States.

“As much as he’s talked about migration here and the undocumented here, he’s got undocumented people, he’s done nothing,” said Al Rojas of Mexicans From Abroad.

Security was tight during the luncheon and there is no indication that Nieto heard or knew of the demonstrations. There are indications that the U.S. government has inquired about the Tahmoressi case. He appeared at a hearing before a Mexican judge earlier this month, but a ruling may be several more months away.