Thread: The right thing for border agents, Navarrette

The right thing for border agents

By Ruben Navarrette (Contact)
2:00 a.m. January 25, 2009

I was glad to see that George W. Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. And frankly, I was a bit surprised I was glad.

I never had much sympathy for Ramos or Compean, disgraced law enforcement officers who were convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler and then lying about it. From studying the facts, hearing the arguments of the agents' supporters, and interviewing U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, whose office tried the case, I'm convinced the pair broke the law and that they were justly convicted and sentenced. Ramos received 11 years and Compean got 12. Both will be released on March 20.

Bush was also convinced that the men were guilty. That's why he didn't pardon them.

Meanwhile, those who want to defend the agents have to ignore the law and several inconvenient facts. Ramos and Compean said in media interviews that the smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, had a gun, but they never mentioned the weapon in their official reports or to fellow agents who arrived on the scene; Compean fired off 14 rounds from an elevated position, which would have left him vulnerable if, in fact, Aldrete-Davila had a gun; and the jury heard from Ramos, Compean and Aldrete-Davila and found the drug smuggler more believable than the agents.

In a stunning display of situational ethics, Ramos and Compean became instant superheroes to anti-immigration activists. This crowd turned a wrongful shooting (what cops call a “bad shootâ€

The narrative of poor, defenseless Border Patrol agents victimized by politics and railroaded into prison was a convenient fantasy.

EXCUSE ME! But the narrative of poor, defenseless illegal immigrants victimized by politics and law enforcement and railroaded into prison is an ongoing convenient fantasy.

It is evident that this writer's sympathies lie with the poor unlicensed pharmacist attempting to better this country by bringing his medicinal miracle to save the people of this country, and in his haste he forgot to get the proper permission to cross the border, only to be shot by two vicious beasts for his humanitarian efforts to cure the plight of pot-starved Americans.
Give me a break!!!!!!!

i say its time we filled up his mailbox. because he obviously only reported the parts of the story he wanted people to know. and left out the IMPORTANT stuff.

Meanwhile, those who want to defend the agents have to ignore the law and several inconvenient facts.

Who's ignoring the law? Why you are with your sob stories about poor illegals simply doing the work Americans don't want. Why don't you accurately describe illegals as criminals whose only interest in the U.S. is taking as much money from its citizens as possible.