Thread: Mexican consul unhappy with bill to cut aid

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Article Last Updated: 11/07/2005 02:57 PM

Mexican consul unhappy with bill

By Felisa Cardona
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

New legislation that cuts foreign aid to countries that refuse to extradite suspected cop-killers should not include Mexico, the Mexican consul general of Denver said today.

"We respect domestic legislation of the U.S. However, we do not believe it applies in any way to Mexico," Consul General Juan Marcos Gutierrez Gonzalez said.

His comments were prompted by legislation introduced by Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-Arvada, that passed the House Friday and is expected to pass the Senate this week.

Beauprez specifically named Mexico and the Raul Gomez-Garcia case when he introduced the legislation.

Gomez-Garcia is accused of fatally shooting Denver police Detective Donald Young and wounding Detective John Bishop in May.

The consul general said the Gomez-Garcia case proves Mexico is cooperating with the extradition process.

A "first answer" about Gomez-Garcia's extradition is expected to come from the Mexican courts by the end of this month, Gutierrez Gonzalez said, adding he expects "good news."

"It's a likely situation for that extradition to happen," he said. "We are handling this case with the principles of efficiency. We did locate and detain (Gomez-Garcia) in two weeks, so there is nothing political in this case."

Gomez-Garcia's actual return to Denver could take more time if he decides to appeal the extradition in the Mexican courts.

Gutierrez Gonzalez said the 1978 treaty between the U.S. and Mexico outlines the rules for extradition and trumps enforcement of the new legislation.

The treaty says Mexico will not extradite criminals who face the death penalty. In 2001, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled extradition cannot occur in cases where life imprisonment is a punishment.

Those rules prompted Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey to forgo a first-degree murder charge and pursue a lesser second-degree murder case against Gomez-Garcia.

Morrissey disapproved of Beauprez's efforts and asked lawmakers not to intercede in the case because he felt that pressuring Mexican authorities about Gomez-Garcia may cause problems with the extradition.

A spokesman for the U.S. State Department has said the legislation is unnecessary because the Mexican government regularly cooperates with U.S. law enforcement.

Gutierrez Gonzalez said Mexico and the U.S. should engage in a bilateral dialogue to change the rules of the treaty over time.

He said there are indications that the Mexican courts are likely to change the criteria about life imprisonment and eventually lift that restriction.

Mexican courts are already allowing cases to go forward where criminals are facing decades behind bars equal to a life sentence, Gutierrez Gonzalez said.

Gomez-Garcia, 20, faces 96 years in prison if he is convicted.

"We respect domestic legislation of the U.S. However, we do not believe it applies in any way to Mexico," Consul General Juan Marcos Gutierrez Gonzalez said.

Wasn't this translated into Spanish for this guy?

He said there are indications that the Mexican courts are likely to change the criteria about life imprisonment and eventually lift that restriction.

I guess we're helping them make their decision earlier with this one.

New legislation that cuts foreign aid to countries that refuse to extradite suspected cop-killers should not include Mexico, the Mexican consul general of Denver said today.

Why shouldn't it include Mexico? What the hell have they ever done to extradite suspected cop-killers to us? They have done nothing, but mooch off of our tax dollars for centuries now and it's high time for that to end. I wouldn't give these parasites a dime. Who cares what they think? These scumbags will oppose anything that happens to derail the gravy train that enriches their elites and encourages the invasion of America. Earth to Mexico, this foreign aide is our tax dollars and we have a right to spend it how we see fit and if we don't want to continue to get ripped off by you scumbags then that's the way it's going to be. This is insanity. No other country gives as much foreign aide as we do. We give more foreign aide then all the other countries combined and most of it goes to third world crapholes that hate us anyway. Enough is Enough!

END THE FOREIGN AIDE HANDOUTS NOW!