Thread: Leaders push for delay in border agents' case

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_4304995

Leaders push for delay in border agents' case

By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

In an ongoing effort to fully examine the circumstances behind two Border Patrol agents' convictions for shooting a fleeing drug smuggler, congressional leaders called on the Department of Justice on Thursday to suspend sentencing the agents pending a full congressional investigation and hearing into their case.

At a news conference in Washington, D.C., Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., and five other congressional representatives asked U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to reopen the case of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean and delay the agents' Oct. 18 sentencing hearing.

Ramos and Compean are facing up to 20 years in prison for their role in the shooting of Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, who ran away from the agents after trying to enter the United States from Mexico with a van load of marijuana. Aldrete-Davila was not seriously wounded in the shooting.

Jones said the convictions could have an adverse effect on Border Patrol agents and national security for years to come.

"The demoralizing prosecution of agents Ramos and Compean puts the rights of illegal alien drug smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing current immigration laws," Jones said. "The convictions against these two agents demand oversight."

Congressional leaders also are circulating a letter among their colleagues that will be sent to Gonzales early next week.

The letter reads: "We are writing to you as members of Congress with deep concern over the Justice Department's wrongheaded prosecution of two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were simply doing their jobs to protect our homeland.

"... We strongly urge the Department of Justice to move to postpone the sentencing of agents Ramos and Compean, and to reopen their case for a fuller investigation of the facts."

Department of Justice officials said they would respond to the congressional request next week.

"The Department of Justice will respond to the letter when we receive it and will review it closely at that time," said Kathleen Blomquist, associate director for the department.

Ramos and Compean were prosecuted by the El Paso U.S. Attorney's Office for their actions in attempting to apprehend Aldrete-Davila, who smuggled nearly 800 pounds of marijuana across the border near El Paso, Texas. Aldrete-Davila received full immunity to testify against the agents, along with complete medical care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso.

Ramos said he believed Aldrete-Davila had a gun in his hand when Ramos fired a single shot at him. Aldrete-Davila was hit in the buttocks, and now is suing the Border Patrol for $5 million, claiming his civil rights were violated.

The request by Jones and the other congressmen to suspend sentencing comes on the heels of Senate and House leaders demanding hearings this month on the agents' case, and on general Border Patrol policies before the end of the year.

Thursday's news conference was hosted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a nonprofit organization opposed to illegal immigration, and by the Immigration Reform Caucus, of which Jones is a member.

Others in attendance included Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.; TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council; Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol; Uvalde County, Texas, Sheriff Terry Crawford, representing the counties of the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition; and other congressional figures.

Jones said he has contacted White House staff twice to express concerns about the agents' convictions and the immunity granted to Aldrete-Davila.

"I wrote a letter to the White House and have not heard a response from the president yet," Jones said in an interview after the press conference. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure these two agents will not go to prison. This is why we're pushing the attorney general to look into this case, and we are not going to let it go."

Bonner called the agents' convictions an "outrageous miscarriage of justice that cries out for redress."

The National Border Patrol Council also is calling on the administration to appoint a special counsel to investigate the case.

"Due to ongoing litigation in the case, we are referring all comments to the Justice Department at this time," White House spokesman Alex Conant said.

Ramirez and Crawford spent Thursday afternoon privately briefing congressional leaders about Ramos and Compean's case.

"We're calling on Congress to put the office of Border Patrol on trial," Ramirez said. "You clearly have managers who are ordering Border Patrol agents to stand down and not stop illegal immigrants or dope smugglers."

Sara A. Carter can be reached by e-mail at sara.carter@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8552.

"We're calling on Congress to put the office of Border Patrol on trial," Ramirez said. "You clearly have managers who are ordering Border Patrol agents to stand down and not stop illegal immigrants or dope smugglers."

Ohhhh, this may get very interesting....

I think the he is on Congress and President to answer for this injustice!!!

Oh, I hope so Jean.

Let's hope they really do reopen the case.

It would be great if this outrage of prosecuting these Border Patrol agents
blew the top off of the whole sleezy mess, so that our Border Patrol really has some authority.
The way it is, they can chase these Illegals and put them back across the Border (so they can try again) but that is about all.
This guy suing the Border patrol says these agents violated his civil rights. What Civil Rights does he have in the USA? NONE! He is the one that was here Illegally. Duh!