consulate in mexico not far from the prison where johnny hammar is being held. what are officials saying about the situation? >> reporter: well, first, we should point out, anderson, johnny's parents don't think the consulate is doing a particularly good job. the consulate did get him out of the general inmate population, this is considered safer but they think the consulate has been surprisingly indifferent. we're on the texas side of the border. the rio grand is behind me. two miles is the consulate. right now it's not particularly safe for us to do live reporting in mexico. but a couple hours we were there during daylight. it's a heavily fortified building. there's an armed guard outside. there are large walls and gates. i talked to the boss there, the consul general. and the consul general told me when i asked him questions about what the parents were saying, that he was unable to get clearance from washington to talk to us. so, we needed to talk to the state department from washington to find out what the consulate was doing. this is what the state departmen

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. >> tremendous news this close to ramp and 27-year-old johnnie hammar is nearing texas after being releasedrom the prison and threats by cartel members amid terrible, terrible living conditions and great to be reunited. his father is now concerned for his health, unfortunately. and his mother describes him as being sick and he may have to go to the emergency room, the suspicion is, he could have bronchitis. the former marine's health has been a big concern during the whole four-month ordeal and previously spent months being treated for ptsd after a grueling combat experience in iraq and his lawyer says his being with the family is certainly helping, take a listen. >> and we have said that johnnie is innocent and always said it, and prove it, but, however, i believe in the next stage that you will see more education to some laws and something, this should not have happened. >> reporter: doesn't look like any media appearances from john or the family just yet. they really want to get him back home, to their home in florida as soon as they can and it looks like it will have to be by car, john

. >> johnny hammar's friend was released, but johnny was brought to this jail charged with violatinge jail is controlled by mexican drug cartel members. a few nights after he was in prison, his parents got a call from someone threatening to kill their son unless the parents paid money. >> he said i have your son. he said i am going to f him up. he said and i already have. for some stupid reason my response was oh, no, i'm going to call the consulate. he put johnny on the phone. i couldn't believe it. i realized, oh, my god. i thought he wasn't in the prison. i thought someone has taken him out of the prison. i couldn't conceive of this going on in a government facility. >> what are did johnny tell you? >> he said mom, you need to do whatever they say. they are serious. >> they never heard from the caller again, although the consulate has known about this from the beginning. his parents kept the story out of the press scared that attention could be bad for their son, but increasingly desperate they are speaking out. >> the longer he is in there, the greater chance he will not get out