Thread: El Paso Vigil. with video.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/health/10742172/detail.html

Saturday night the families and friends of two convicted former border patrol agents came out to San Jacinto Plaza to support the men who are expected to go to federal prison on Wednesday.

Dozens of people showed up to support Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos in a special candlelight vigil. Many are upset about the men recently being sentenced to federal prison.

"The justice system not only failed these two men, these heroes, but it also failed the American people," said TJ Bonner, President of National Border Patrol Council.

Tonight the families of both of these men pleaded with the public to help them fight to have these men remain free on bond pending their appeal to be with their families.

"He's my son, but also a husband. He loves his family. They are inseparable," said Virginia Orwit, mother of Ignacio Ramos.

Family members at the vigil tell KFOX, Compean and Ramos have received hundreds of support letters, but both families said they are disappointed in Congressman Silvestre Reyes, a former border patrol agent, who they said will not support them or return their calls.

"He should at least have the common courtesy to return a phone call and that's the only thing I am really still upset at," said Jose Compean, convicted former Border Patrol agent.

"I think that Silvestre Reyes chickened out on everything, I think he is a flake and I think he turned his eye to more of a progress for himself," said Lalo Morales, cousin of Ignacio Ramos.

KFOX tried to contact Congressman Reyes about these issues, but his spokesperson did not return our call.


Vigil supports convicted ex-border agents
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_5011117

Jose Alonso Compean, one of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a reputed drug smuggler in the backside and then concealing the evidence, was confident Saturday his appeal would be successful.

At a rally at San Jacinto Plaza, Compean, asked about spending 12 years behind bars -- a sentence scheduled to begin Wednesday -- said, "I'm not thinking about it. If I think about it, it's going to ruin the amount of time that I have left with my family."

Compean's remaining time before his sentence is set to begin comes with a firestorm of advocacy and support from lawmakers and activists convinced he and another agent, Ignacio Ramos, were wrongfully convicted in the incident. The San Jacinto rally was one of about 10 across the nation on Saturday in support of the two.

Advocates and family members have made a last-ditch effort to keep Compean and Ramos out of prison, through either a motion to U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone to allow the former agents to remain free on bond during an appeal, or a through a presidential
pardon. As of Saturday night, neither President Bush nor Cardone had responded, advocates said.

HERE IS YOUR CONTACT INFO FOR THIS BP TRAITOR
and he was a BP agent before an elected official.
how embarassing for the people of el paso
By E-mail
http://wwwc.house.gov/reyes/contact_information.asp

Washington, D.C. Office
2433 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4831
Fax: (202) 225-2016
Office Hours: 9am-6pm EST

El Paso Office
310 N. Mesa, Suite 400
El Paso, Texas 79901
Phone: (915) 534-4400
Fax: (915) 534-7426
Office Hours: 8am-5pm MDT