http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jxRj3DaFN4

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... dt.01.html

DOBBS: Rising anger tonight over Mexico's government's outright meddling in U.S. affairs. The government of Mexico blasted the commutation of the prison sentences of former Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean. They've within in prison since January of 2007 for shooting and wounding a Mexican illegal alien drug smuggler who was given immunity to testify against those agents. Casey Wian now reports on the government of Mexico's outright intervention and meddling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The government of Mexico has been involved in the case of former U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean from the beginning. The agents shot and wounded Mexican illegal alien Oswaldo Aldreti-Davila in February of 2004 after he abandoned this van filled with more than 700 pounds of marijuana.

Davila escaped across the Rio Grande. Weeks later, a friend of his family contacted the Border Patrol. And the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began an investigation that led to the convictions of Ramos and Compean. They were sentenced to 11 and 12 years in prison. Chief prosecutor has repeatedly denied the Mexican government influenced the case.

DOBBS: The Mexican Consulate contacted who?

JOHNNY SUTTON, U.S. ATTORNEY: The Mexican Consulate wrote the standard letter they always write in these cases.

DOBBS: You sure it is a standard letter?

SUTTON: I don't know. The letter was sent to the Homeland Security. But I can tell you that this case originated like any other case that we try in El Paso.

WIAN: Mexican authorities located Davila who was initially reluctant to cooperate with U.S. Homeland Security investigators.

Eventually the U.S. Justice Department offered Davila medical care and immunity from prosecution to testify against Ramos and Compean. Prosecutors said he was unarmed when shot. In July 2007, a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee held hearings on Mexico's role in the case. The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice declined to appear. The State Department sent two deputy assistant secretaries who were unable to provide definitive answers.

REP. BILL DELAHUNT, (D) MA: Are you aware of any other U.S. government agencies' communications with the Mexican government?

GREG STARR, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: There were not notes exchange, that's correct.

CHARLES SHAPIRO, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: I mean, I've seen them because I've pulled them out of the case file. And your staff sent me stuff. Other folks have sent me stuff. In fact, I've seen communications between the Mexican Consul in El Paso, and if I'm not mistaken, Border Patrol.

STARR: Correct.

SHAPIRO: Where they asked to have consular access to this individual.

WIAN: After former President Bush commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean Monday, Mexico's deputy secretary for foreign relations Carlos Rico said, "It send a message of impunity." Rico added his government lobbied to keep the agents in prison. But the efforts of what he called anti-immigrant groups had more influence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's clearly unfounded. And it really demonstrates the ignorance of American justice.

WIAN: The National Border Patrol Council said in a statement while it is "not surprised in the least by the admission of the Mexican government that it lobbied long and hard for the prosecution of Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean and against clemency for them, it is sickened by the fact that our own government acceded to those outrageous demands."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN (on camera): The Border Patrol union also called on President Obama and Congress to immediately begin an investigation. The Mexican Embassy did not respond to our request for a comment. Lou?

DOBBS: Now, talk about impunity. The fact that the deputy foreign minister would have the impunity to make such a statement, and that the government should conduct itself, the government of Mexico, conduct itself -- I mean, this is truly ignorance. But the ignorance is such a mild degree of ignorance as compared to that of the Bush administration, through its Departments of Justice, its Department of Homeland Security, that I mean, it is absolutely unimaginable that George W. Bush, the president of the United States, and his administration, tolerated such interference.

WIAN: The key question that we'd really like to get answered, Lou, is when did this admitted lobbying by the Mexican government begin. Did it just start once the agents got into prison and border security activists and others were calling for their release? Did it start at the very beginning? They're not answering those questions now, Lou. Perhaps it's going to take the subpoena power of someone in Congress to find out the answers from the U.S. side.

DOBBS: Congressman Delahunt has done his level best, as have a number of congressmen, trying to get some answers. And the fact is they've been stone walled by their own party, their own government and the Bush administration has much to answer for.

I appreciate that George Bush commuted the sentences of these two agents. But man, are there still important questions to be answered here. And they are answers that the American people deserve. Thank you very much, Casey. Casey Wian.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joining me now with more, four congressman who fought hard and who continue to fight to clear the names of Ramos and Compean, Congressman Ted Poe and Congressman Walter Jones join us, as does Congressman John Culberson and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. It's good to have you all here. Thank you very much. I've got to say, put it this way. The fact that a government official of Mexico has admitted their intrusion into the affairs of the United States government in this case, working against the processes of both the investigation, prosecution, and ultimately pardon or commutation of sentences, how do each of you feel? I want to start with you Congressman Rohrabacher.

REP. DANA ROHRABACHER, (R) CA: Well, take a look at the answer Mr. Sutton gave you. People should look at the clip that you just presented to the public. When you asked him specifically about the Mexican government's involvement, the answer he gave you was a lie.

Now, technically if you studied the words, maybe those words can be construed as being true. But in reality, they were put together to create a false impression that the Mexican government wasn't involved.

Mr. Sutton, this is the way they prosecuted these two Border Patrol agents from day one. It's been a lie from day one. The Mexican government has been involved. We need to know the details.

And why is the Mexican government involved? Hey, remember, they have troubles with the drug cartel influencing government down there. So their government that influences our government to prosecute the Border Patrol agents when they stop a drug dealer? There's a lot of questions that need to be answered.

DOBBS: Congressman Culberson and Congressman Poe, both of you signed on for the letter for the Texas congressional delegation asking for the commutation of these agents. What are your thoughts tonight, and the way it appears tonight that the Bush administration acceded to the government of Mexico in very important affairs of its own citizens?

REP. JOHN CULBERSON, (R) TX: Lou, I can tell you, I serve on the Appropriations Subcommittee with responsibility for funding the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, and I intend to vigorously pursue this through my subcommittee. I'm going to make sure we get these questions answered. We know, for example, as Judge Poe will tell you, that a deputy sheriff in South Texas was prosecuted at the request of the Mexican government.

We now know Ramos and Compean were persecuted, prosecuted, hounded because of the Mexican government. It is unacceptable. It is outrageous for any foreign nation to be able to direct the prosecution of our own law enforcement officers. Lou, I'm not going to stand for it and I'm going to get answers.

DOBBS: Congressman Poe?

REP. TED POE, (R) TX: We've always thought the Mexican government was involved in this case ever since the U.S. Attorney's office made the back room deal with the drug dealer. I thought that they made a backroom deal with the Mexican government at the same time. It looks like that all throughout this case.

We certainly want to find out their involvement. You know, frankly, I don't care what the Mexican government thinks about cases that are prosecuted in the United States. They should have no impact on our justice system, of all things, influencing our courts on who ought to be prosecuted, and who shouldn't be.

So we're going to investigate it, serve on the Judiciary Committee. We'll look into the involvement and the lobbying of the Mexican government.

DOBBS: And Congressman Jones, just your thoughts here tonight? I mean, the idea that the Bush administration had so little principles, so little guts and so little regard for the rights and the well-being of two of its citizens serving the nation in uniform, protecting our border, I mean, your thoughts here tonight?

REP. WALTER JONES, (R) NC: Yes, sir. Lou, I'm going to tell you, to the question you asked the American people, I will give you my answer, yes, they should be investigated. And I believe sincerely that the Congress has the responsibility to look into any relationship that the past administration has with Mexico, or any other country to the detriment of the American people. And in this case, I would say to the Mexican government, keep your drug dealers in Mexico, and let us take care of our border agents.

DOBBS: All right. Thank you very much. Congressman, I appreciate it. We're out of time. I hope you'll come back as we continue to explore this case.

JOHN CULBERSON: Lou? Thank you for your leadership to make this possible.

TED POE: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: Thank you so much.
DANA ROHRABACHER: Thank you, Lou.
WALTER JONES: Thank you, Lou.