Thread: Dobbs/Wian on Yuma BP murder (re: Ramos/Compean)

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

DOBBS: Mexican drug violence is worsening every day, but today, Mexico announced the capture of one of that nation's top drug traffickers, saying the trafficker, Alfredo Tranleva (ph) was a high ranking member of the drug cartel operating in Santa La State (ph). The cartel member allegedly in charge of transporting drugs, bribing government officials, laundering money and commanding two separate groups of hit men for the cartel. The Santa La (ph) cartel is in a violent war with a rival cartel for control of the lucrative drug routes into the United States.

Well Mexico's drug violence is spilling over to the U.S. side of the border and of course with tragic consequences. A U.S. border patrol agent killed over the weekend trying to protect this nation from drug smugglers. Casey Wian has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN (voice-over): Border patrol agent Luis Aguilar was killed in the line of duty Saturday, trying to stop two vehicles fleeing for the Mexican border. The border patrol says the pursuit began Saturday morning just west of Yuma, Arizona where interstate aid crosses California's Imperial Sand Dunes, a popular spot for off-road enthusiasts and drug and alien smugglers. Border patrol agents were following a hummer and a pickup truck when the suspected drug smugglers turned off the interstate and headed toward Mexico. Agent Aguilar tried to throw a strip lined with spikes in front of the vehicles but was struck and killed by the hummer in front of fellow agents.

AGENT JEREMY SCHAPPELL, BORDER PATROL YUMA SECTOR: I would not consider it an accident, it is definitely another just more of the border violence that we've been preaching about in the past. Smugglers will do anything they can go get their cargo in.

WIAN: Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement "I'm outraged by this tragic loss. Dangerous criminal groups have chosen to respond to our tougher security posture at the border with increased violence and mistakenly believe we will give way in the face of violence. We will continue to show them how wrong they are."

The smugglers escaped across the border. Mexican authorities say they found their vehicles burned in Mexicali. Chertoff says the Mexican government assured him they will help track down the killers and bring them to justice. The FBI is leading the U.S. investigation into the agent's killing. Agent Aguilar was 32, a five-year border patrol veteran, survived by his wife, two children and brother, who is also a border patrol agent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIAN: Aguilar is the 16th border patrol agent killed in the line of duty since 2000. Also nearly 1,000 agents were assaulted last year alone as Mexican drug cartel violence continues to spill over the border -- Lou.

DOBBS: Well it is unconscionable what the Department of Homeland security is doing to our border patrol agents. They're leaving them basically naked against the onslaught of illegal alien smugglers, drug smugglers on our border. How in the world, and I've got to ask this, Casey, how in the world with other agents there, were there not efforts and successful efforts to stop those two vehicles re-entering Mexico?

WIAN: The border patrol is not giving any details about the pursuit that happened leading up to this tragic event while the investigation continues, but it does bring up a lot of issues. You wonder if this outcome would have been different, had there been a fence in that area. You wonder if this outcome would have been different if the cases of agents Ramos and Compean had not happened. Other border patrol agents were in that area likely armed, certainly armed, you know you wonder if they thought twice about pulling their weapons given what happened to their fellow agents who were in jail for more than a decade for trying to stop a Mexican drug smuggler.

DOBBS: The very idea that this officer, this law enforcement officer protecting this nation's borders was killed and without consequence is shameful, and no one should be more ashamed than those leading the Department of Homeland Security and the United States border patrol, because this is absolutely unacceptable to the United States and to the American people. I mean, my God what are they thinking about?

And the very idea that the prosecution of Ramos and Compean, if that played a part in the minds of any of those border patrol agents, you know, there's going to be a special place in hell reserved for the prosecutors of those two agents in the U.S. Justice Department and in the Bush administration. Let's hope that was not the case. Casey, thank you very much. Casey Wian.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

WIAN (voice-over): The border patrol says the pursuit began Saturday morning just west of Yuma, Arizona where interstate aid crosses California's Imperial Sand Dunes,

I think this should be "Interstate 8 (eight)", not "interstate aid".

LOL dont look at me. i cant help it if someone cant tell aid from EIGHT..

ROFL too funny
but in all seriousness. this is what i find disturbing in the report, especially if its true

but it does bring up a lot of issues. You wonder if this outcome would have been different, had there been a fence in that area. You wonder if this outcome would have been different if the cases of agents Ramos and Compean had not happened. Other border patrol agents were in that area likely armed, certainly armed, you know you wonder if they thought twice about pulling their weapons given what happened to their fellow agents who were in jail for more than a decade for trying to stop a Mexican drug smuggler.