Fresno Army Specialist, Richard Medina Torres is now awaiting a very important decision from a federal judge that could very well determine his fate.

Last night, Army Specialist Richard Medina Torres was transferred to a formal cell at Cereso Prison in Juarez, Mexico, where he is now being held on weapons charges.

A federal judge is expected anytime now, to either sentence him for to up to 15 years there or set him free.

Today, federal authorities allowed him to speak on-camera from inside the prison.

When we played it for his mother... She became emotional.

"My nightmare started yesterday and it’s continuing today," said Gloria Medina, the mother of Army Specialist Richard Medina Torres.

Today as she watches her son, Army Specialist Richard Medina Torres being interviewed from inside a Mexican prison today... She starts to cry.

It’s the closest she'll come to being with him on her birthday.

"I’m just hurting, hurting for my baby,” said Medina.

The army specialist was arrested Monday at the Juarez, Mexico border after federal authorities found guns, knives and ammunition in his car.

He was transferred last night to Cereso Prison in Juarez, Mexico, where he's been formally charged with possessing a firearm and possessing a firearm that according to federal authorities is intended only for military use, serious charges that could keep him in prison for up to 15 years.

"This sucks. Like I was telling everyone else, I would rather be back in Iraq," said Richard Medina Torres.

That’s where he had served for 15 months as a helicopter maintenance technician and a crew chief, from 2006 to 2007.

"It sucks... It hurts... I spent 15 months over there doing what I could do. We got mortared all the time, we’d always hear bombs coming in, we got shot at, but it’s still better than being in here, said Medina.

Now, on his mother's birthday... The 25-year-old is waiting on a federal judge to either sentence him to a Mexican prison or set him free.

His mother says, "he doesn't belong there, he’s not a criminal, he’s just a soldier trying to serve his country.”

The army specialist says this is all just one big mistake and never intended to bring weapons into Mexico.

He said once he took the wrong exit, there was no where to turn around, unless he went through the border.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Consulate will not comment on any questions about it possible involvement in trying to secure the soldier's release.

And of course stay tuned to KSEE 24 for the latest developments on this story.

Click on the link to see Preston Phillips’ report.