Thread: Mexico: latest border shooting 'excessive use of force'

08.10.07
Mexico: latest border shooting 'excessive use of force'
http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=6917334&nav=AbC0
Aug 10, 2007 11:10 PM EDT

EL PASO, TX - Mexican authorities are calling Wednesday night's fatal shooting of an alleged human smuggler by a Border Patrol agent an "excessive use of force."

The incident happened along the Border Highway near the intersection of Delta and Cypress streets, east of Bowie High School. A Border Patrol agent confronted three men and a woman on the American side of the border, officials say. When he proceeded to take the woman into custody, the agent was allegedly threatened by man who was smuggling the group into the U.S.

According to the agent, 23-year-old Jose Alejandro Ortiz Castillo threatened him with a rock and bolt cutters - at which point he fired his gun several times.

Ortiz-Castillo and the three men managed escape and returned to the Mexican side of the border. Ortiz-Castillo died as a result of the gunfire, Mexican authorities said.

The incident marked the third time this year Border Agents have been involved in a fatal shooting in the El Paso Sector.

Border Patrol Spokesman Doug Mosier tells ABC-7 Ortiz-Castillo had been caught crossing the border 28 times since 1999.

Friday, the Mexican Government issued a news release expressing a "firm protest against the use of lethal weapons in the face of situations that do not represent a proportionate risk."

Guillermo Reyes, with the Mexican Consul General, said his country is concerned about the use of deadly force when there is no real evidence the agent is at risk. "We are concerned about the use of lethal weapon in an extra use of force when there is not any reaction or circumstance that creates a real risk to the agents," he said, "it is not the same to have a gun compared to a rock."

Although Reyes believes every agent has the right to protect his life, he wants the U.S. government to launch a full-scale investigation into the fatal shooting - a sentiment also echoed by his government.

Border Patrol Spokesman Doug Mosier stated the investigation of incidents such as the fatal shooting are standard procedure at the Customs and Border Protection. "Every single incident like this is thoroughly investigated ... it will be investigated by the Border Patrol, the FBI and the El Paso Police Department," he said "these are thorough investigations and they leave no stone unturned."

Mosier also tells ABC-7 people need to wait until the facts about the investigation are brought to light to reach a conclusion. "That is what we would ask, not only of the Mexican government, but of anyone taking a look at the case," he said.

"We face these kinds of situations all the time - where agents are being assaulted more often than ever before," said Mosier, revealing that more than 60 assaults on Border Patrol agents have occurred this year in the El Paso sector. The figure represents a 25% increase from last year, he said.

Both Mosier and Reyes believe the U.S. and Mexico have to work together to get to the bottom of the incident and make sure similar incidents do not happen again. "This is not a conflict between the U.S. and Mexico...but, when you have two or three incidents in a very short time, we need to find out what is happening," said Reyes. "I think each community needs each other in times like these, because the fact of the matter is, it is one border community when it comes to issues like these," said Mosier.

The Border Network for Human Rights has scheduled a vigil for Friday night at the Border Patrol headquarters on Montana to demand answers in regards to the shooting.

In the end, Mosier stands by the decision of the agent and believes all evidence will reveal he acted in self-defense. "They understand they can only use deadly force in times of protecting their life, the life of a partner or life of another party...they have to be able to do that," he said.

Friday, the Mexican Government issued a news release expressing a "firm protest against the use of lethal weapons in the face of situations that do not represent a proportionate risk."

I guess the life of the border patrol agent is not important?

So what's the agent supposed to do, stand there and let the guy cave his skull in?
The use of deadly force is justifiable to prevent great bodily harm.

I say the use of deadly force is a very effective "tool" to use to discourage illegal immigration via the breaking and entering into our country.

This shows just how warped the Mexican govt's thinking is. He's been caught 28 times, so that shows he had a total disregard for our border and total disrespect for our agents. Yet you get 2 years in jail if you're an illegal caught in Mexico. Double standard? They just can't see where it's wrong to violate our people and our laws. If you ain't mad, you ain't paying attention!

I'm getting very tired of Mexico telling us how to run this country!!

If the Mexican government doesn't want their people shot - they should make an HONEST effort to keep their people from trying to get cross the northern border.

Problem solved!!!

So what's the agent supposed to do, stand there and let the guy cave his skull in?
The use of deadly force is justifiable to prevent great bodily harm.

LOL.....why sure...after you give them their traditional welcome package and anything else they might require. Being sarcastic. I don't know what they expect these agents to do. It's not like after you've been pelted with rocks and threatned that you have a nice friendly conversation just to see if he REALLY ment to kill you or not......Mexico needs their own people there to keep them from crossing if they're so concerned.

If assaults are up 25% this says to me all the interference by Mexico has embolden their citizens to attack our Border Patrol agents.

Mexico needs to clean up their own act as far as immigration policies in their country and until they do our Gov. should not allow them any say in ours !!

OH NO, Im about to get my head bashed in with a rock, let me see what should I do , die from a bashed in scull or go to prison for ten years, I guess i'll shoot and send the message if you cross this border and pick up a rock you are going to get shot. period. Moral of the story if you cross our border and are caught "do not pick up a rock"

Mind your own business Mexico and keep your citizens in their own country, and there will be no further incidents See how easy we are to get along with.


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I suggest emails en masse to Diane Feinstein (who chaired the investigation into Ramos/Compean), and to Bilbray. Maybe they should get into this business BEFORE the Mexican gov can do their dirt.

I'm sending mine NOW.