Thread: Smuggler was tricked to return for drug arrest

Smuggler was tricked to return for drug arrest


November 20, 2007


By Sara A. Carter - The man shot by two Border Patrol agents who later were sent to prison in the incident was lured back to the U.S. last week and arrested by federal agents on drug charges.

Unbeknown to Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, the admitted drug smuggler whose testimony last year helped convict former agents Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General were waiting to arrest him at the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas.

"Davila was in shock and just wanted to know why he was being arrested," a source close to the case told The Washington Times. "Davila didn't make any statements."

OIG Investigator Christopher Sanchez, who originally investigated the case and persuaded Mr. Aldrete-Davila to testify against the agents at trial, called Mr. Aldrete-Davila and persuaded him to meet at the port of entry to renew his U.S. visa.

Mr. Aldrete-Davila was arraigned Friday on charges of trafficking marijuana in September and October 2005, while he had immunity freeing him from prosecution for the nearly $1 million of marijuana he had smuggled into the country that February, when the incident with the agents occurred.

Compean and Ramos were convicted last year for shooting Mr. Aldrete-Davila near El Paso along the Texas-Mexico border. Both were sentenced to more than a decade in prison.

White House officials, despite pleas from lawmakers and the public to intervene on the agents' behalf, are not elaborating on the case.

In July, Sens. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, and John Cornyn, Texas Republican, sent President Bush a letter asking him to commute the sentences of the two men.

"In my opinion, the recent arrest of Aldrete-Davila raises serious questions about decisions that were made in the trial and incarceration of the two agents," Mr. Cornyn said yesterday. "The attorney general should review the circumstances of this case immediately and forward a recommendation to the president."

U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, whose office successfully prosecuted the case, acknowledged in July testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee that his "team" approved the issuance of the "humanitarian visa," noting that it was a "mistake" only if they had knowledge that Mr. Aldrete-Davila was involved in smuggling narcotics into the U.S again.

"Now, up until the time, obviously, there was an allegation made that he might have been involved in some other criminal activity. The minute that happened, obviously his card got pulled," Mr. Sutton said to Mr. Cornyn during questioning.

However, days after Mr. Sutton's testimony, new evidence emerged showing that Mr. Aldrete-Davila had been issued another visa by the U.S. Justice Department just five days after he was identified for the second time in the October smuggling operation, according to documents obtained by The Washington Times.

Mr. Aldrete-Davila also had his visa renewed at the request of the Justice Department in January 2006 and again on March 31, 2006, three weeks after the agents' trial ended.

www.washingtimes.com

"Davila was in shock and just wanted to know why he was being arrested,"

Yes, he should be shocked. Normally our border patrol goes to prison for that criminal! He should be outraged that he himself would go to jail for his own crimes!

hmm noe aleman was tricked into coming down to sign some papers for his neices adoption's and was arrested also.