Thread: Aldrete Davila, man shot by BP agents, sentenced to 9 1/2 ye

Aldrete Davila, man shot by BP agents, sentenced to 9 1/2 years

Posted: Aug 6, 2008 10:38 AM PDT

Updated: Aug 6, 2008 01:43 PM PDT

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL, Associated Press Writer

EL PASO, Texas (AP) - An admitted drug smuggler shot by a pair of former U.S. Border Patrol agents was sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prison Wednesday.

Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while fleeing from an abandoned marijuana load in 2005, was sentenced to 9½ years in prison for his role in other smuggling efforts months after he was shot.

The sentence was issued a little more than a week after a federal appeals court upheld lengthy sentences for the former agents convicted in the shooting. Their case has drawn national attention, prompting several members of Congress to call on President Bush to commute their sentences or pardon them outright.

Aldrete pleaded guilty in April to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count each of conspiracy to import a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance.

Before being sentenced Aldrete, who spoke in Spanish, said he was not a career smuggler and asked for leniency.

"I don't do this for a living," Aldrete told U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone. "I did it again because I had to cover the debt" from the first failed smuggling attempt.

Aldrete said his family was threatened, forcing him to again smuggle large loads of marijuana in 2005, while cooperating with the U.S. government in the case against agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. He was shot in February of that year.

Cardone rejected his apologies, telling Aldrete that he squandered an opportunity to stay clean after being given immunity for the original smuggling effort in exchange for his testimony against Ramos and Compean.

"I just don't believe you were a minor ... player," Cardone said. "You had ample opportunity ... and you still decided to engage in (drug smuggling.)"

Aldrete testified against the agents in their 2006 trial, telling a jury that he was unarmed when he was shot as he ran toward Mexico after a brief scuffle with Compean.

Ramos and Compean, who were convicted of shooting Aldrete and then trying to cover up the incident, argued that they believed Aldrete had a weapon.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld most of the agents' convictions while tossing out charges that the men tampered with an official proceeding.

The ruling left intact the mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years for the each agent's convictions on the charge of discharge of a weapon in the commission of a crime of violence.

Relatives of both agents were in the courtroom for Wednesday's sentencing.

Monica Ramos, Ignacio Ramos' wife, said the sentence brought some relief, but was hardly justice for her family.

"I'm not going to say this is a victory," Monica Ramos said, her voice cracking as she fiddled with her husband's gold wedding band. "I think for the first time our justice system worked."

www.kvia.com

whodathunkit ... this criminal gets out before both of our border guards

The Rape of America is almost complete

Let's see we'll place this guys history up against the BP agents and he gets 9 1/2 years. Ramos and Compean get more for doing their job. Ridiculous.
At least Glenn Beck has really helped them out.

THAT'S ALL?????!!!! Only nine and a half years????!!!! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
OUR BORDER AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN WERE SENTENCED WITH MORE TIME THAN THAT!
THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM 30 YEARS AND NOT A DAY LESS!

Originally Posted by ShockedinCalifornia

THAT'S ALL?????!!!! Only nine and a half years????!!!! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
OUR BORDER AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN WERE SENTENCED WITH MORE TIME THAN THAT!
THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM 30 YEARS AND NOT A DAY LESS!

Ya what about perjury charges.

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

whodathunkit ... this criminal gets out before both of our border guards

The Rape of America is almost complete

Adding insult to injury, I doubt if they prosecute the scum known as Johnny Sutton or George Bush.

I got a feeling he will Die in prison . Dead men don't talk . He crossed some evil and very powerful people when he was captured again . Say Bye Bye

so in a federal prison, you will have to serve all your time,
he will get out of prison about the same time that Ramos does.
hmmm Interesting

NINE and a half years for FOUR Guilty Counts of smuggling.
i thought i read where the MINIMUM was FIVE YEARS for each count

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_10113963
this story is the most rest story as i write

second most is a story about 700 now dead in juarez this year