U.S. soldier held in Mexico faces trial

CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO — A U.S. soldier has been arrested in Mexico and ordered to stand trial after he was caught entering the country with a pistol, a rifle and ammunition.

Spc. Richard R. Medina Torres, 25, was arrested Monday. On Saturday, a judge ordered him held for trial on charges equivalent to smuggling and weapons possession.

Medina Torres has called the case a misunderstanding. He said he entered Mexico with his personal weapons by mistake after taking a wrong turn on the highway. “I just want to go home,” he said.

Mexico has strict gun-control laws and is plagued by increasing drug-related violence. Mexican officials say most weapons used by drug gangs come from the United States.