HALSVILLE, Texas (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Caden Hawkins, the man whose family says he was unjustly imprisoned in Mexico, is now back home after a year in detention.
State Representative Jay Dean confirmed the news on Wednesday in a Facebook post.
“After a long and difficult year, Caden Hawkins is finally home,” Dean wrote. “Back where he belongs, with his family in Hallsville, surrounded by the people who never stopped loving him, praying for him, and believing he would return.”
Hawkins was detained on March 2, 2025 at the Port of Palomas border crossing in Columbus, New Mexico. His family said he was on a work trip and became disoriented after following directions from his GPS while trying to get home. They claimed he didn’t realize he was driving toward the United States–Mexico border.
Hawkins recorded on his cellphone at the border crossing moments before he was handcuffed. His family said that, as they have learned since then, he was detained because he was carrying a pistol and ammunition when he arrived at the border. They asserted that it was a weapon he had a permit to carry.
Dean did not comment on the details surrounding Hawkins’ release.
