A U.S. Marine veteran has returned home to Florida after he was held in a Mexican jail for eight months for crossing the border with loaded guns.

His case caused many Americans, including politicians, to put pressure on Mexico to release the man.

Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi was freed this past weekend and was flown by private plane to back to his home in southern Florida. The flight held supporters, which included former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and first flew to San Diego to pick up his mother, Jill. His plane finally arrived on the East Coast around 6 a.m. Saturday.

"They're just spending time together, trying to figure out what's next," family spokesman Jon Franks said to reporters at suburb outside of Fort Lauderdale. "They need some time to decompress."

Neither Tahmooressi nor his family members spoke to the media at the news conference.

The 26-year-old previously said that he took a wrong turn on a California freeway that funneled him into a Tijuana port of entry without a way to turn back. Tahmooressi said he never intended to illegally bring guns over the Mexico border.

He was detained, bringing calls for his release from U.S. politicians, veterans groups and other grassroots campaigns. A U.S. congressional committee even held a hearing on the young man's case.

Possessing weapons restricted for Army use is a federal crime in Mexico and tightening border checks led to Tahmooressi's arrest.

A Mexican judge later freed him of the arms charges due to his mental state, according to a statement Saturday from Mexico's embassy in the U.S. Tahmooressi suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental illness that he will be treated for now that he's back in the U.S.

"I think he's going to bounce back pretty quickly," Franks said.

Former Gov. Richardson grew up in Mexico and visited Tahmooressi in jail, advocating for his release on his behalf.

"I respect Mexico's judicial process, I am pleased that Andrew was released today and will return home to his family," Richardson said in a statement.