Thread: Representatives Seek Pardons For Border Patrol Agents

We'll see who our president really works for!

Dec 8, 2006

Representatives Seek Pardons For Border Patrol Agents
Several members of Congress are asking that two convicted border patrol agents from El Paso be given pardons.

Representatives including Rep. Ted Poe of Texas said they intend to send a letter to the president asking that the sentences of agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean be commuted.

As KFOX reported, the agents were convicted of shooting a fleeing illegal drug smuggler last February during a nighttime altercation near Fabens.

Ramos and Compean were sentenced to 11- and 12-year prison terms, respectively.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/200 ... -8361r.htm

Lawmakers urge Bush to pardon 2 border agents
By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
December 8, 2006


A Republican congressman yesterday asked President Bush to have "some Christian charity and pardon" two U.S. Border Patrol agents facing lengthy prison terms following their convictions for shooting a suspected drug smuggler in the buttocks.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California said Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean are scheduled to begin serving 11- and 12-year prison terms, respectively, in January and called on Mr. Bush to "do the right thing and not allow the lives and families of these fine men to be destroyed this holiday."
Mr. Rohrabacher made the request during a press conference, joined by Republican Reps. Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, Ted Poe of Texas and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, to announce that more than 50 members of Congress have signed on to a pardon request letter to Mr. Bush.
"These Border Patrol agents are heroes," said Mr. Rohrabacher. "Because of their actions, over a million dollars in illegal drugs were stopped from being sold to our children. Bringing felony charges against them is a travesty of justice beyond description.
"The president needs to send the right message by showing they are on the side of law enforcement, not drug traffickers," he said.
Compean, 28, and Ramos, 37, were sentenced Oct. 19 by U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso, Texas, to prison for causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a civil rights violation. A federal jury convicted the two men in March after a two-week trial, and Judge Cardone ordered them to report to prison Jan. 17.
The government brought the charges after Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, a Mexican national, agreed to testify against the agents in exchange for immunity after an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General. The immunity deal protected Mr. Aldrete-Davila from being charged in this country as a drug smuggler. Ramos and Compean found 743 pounds of marijuana in the van he abandoned near the border.
Mr. Aldrete-Davila was shot after he illegally entered the United States near Fabens, Texas, and refused efforts by the agents to stop the van. Court records show he jumped from the vehicle and ran south to the Rio Grande, where he was confronted by Compean, who was knocked to the ground.
Although wounded, Mr. Aldrete-Davila managed to cross the border and escape in a waiting van.
"The U.S. Attorney wrongly focused on the minor mistakes of the officers instead of on the illegal drug trafficker," Mr. Rohrabacher said.
"When American citizens see an illegal alien narcotics trafficker being given immunity and free health care while the officers who risked their lives to stop him are going to prison, they must believe we in Washington either do not care about the uncontrolled flow of criminals or illegals or they just think we have lost our minds," he said.
The government's prosecution began after an investigator from the Office of Inspector General located Mr. Aldrete-Davila in Mexico. The investigator had been dispatched after Mr. Aldrete-Davila's mother complained to a Border Patrol agent in Arizona that her son had been shot. That agent notified Homeland Security.

These agents need to be cleared; their verdicts over-turned; the case dismissed; the smuggler arrested and jailed; the agents reimbursed their lost pay, legal expenses, and punitive damages for this horrible disgrace and emotional turmoil. The people who decided to pursue this case all need to be fired including the DHS investigators, the Supervisors who didn't stand up for their agents, and every single person in the US Justice Department that played a role in this travesty.

The rule that these agents are not supposed to chase drug smugglers needs to be canned and whoever instituted such an absurd rule summarily fired.

We are in an illegal alien crisis ... our country runneth over.

Punishing our border patrol agents trying to do their jobs catching these people and stopping their entry and smuggling is their job and I am one American that wants them to "win".

Nothing required the US Justice Department to give this smuggler immunity.

Without the immunity, he wouldn't have testified and that would have been the end of that.

And next time, he might just think twice about entering the US without permission and hauling in illegal drugs.

That is the whole entire purpose of the US Border Patrol and what we pay them to do.

Where is THE RACE

Aren't they supposed to be protecting hispanic citizens? They should be protesting in the streets in DC. Have they even commented on this case?

Judy, I hope these two heroes then turn around and sue the government for malicious prosecution.

Me too!! And I'd move to Texas and establish residency just to serve on the Jury to award them 25 times more than what the illegal alien is suing for ... I think his suit is for $5,000,000. Yep ... 25 times that per Agent ... would suit me just fine. I would stipulate that we empty the pockets of everyone involved from the Wackident down ... to help pay the award.

LaRaza has been dead silent on this case........clearly, they only advocate for hispanics if they happen to be working for open borders and illegal immigration.

These fine border patrol agents with stellar records apparently are not deemed worthy of LaRaza's support. In fact, AG Gonzalez even feigned ignorance that several Congressman had sent him letters asking for his intervention. This group would rather sacrifice two of its own than take action that might be perceived as supporting those trying to thwart illegal immigration. Truly pathetic.

Kate says "Truly pathetic."

Indeed ... obviously signs that protecting the illegal drug trade goes .. all the way to the top of our Highest Worm Holes.

That's what's behind this inexplicable state of affairs.

They aren't supposed to chase illegal alien drug smugglers without permission from their supervisors. They can chase other illegal aliens but not drug smugglers.

Why?

Because if they chase them, they might catch them and before they do that and the illegal alien under arrest starts chirpin' like a bird, they have to determine whether or not it's one of theirs.



If they catch them, the arrestee will start chirpin'

Originally Posted by Kate

LaRaza has been dead silent on this case........clearly, they only advocate for hispanics if they happen to be working for open borders and illegal immigration.

These fine border patrol agents with stellar records apparently are not deemed worthy of LaRaza's support. In fact, AG Gonzalez even feigned ignorance that several Congressman had sent him letters asking for his intervention. This group would rather sacrifice two of its own than take action that might be perceived as supporting those trying to thwart illegal immigration. Truly pathetic.

La Racist Raza was represented by the U.S. government.

WIAN: What angers Compean most is a statement he says was made by prosecuting U.S. attorney Debra Kanof, implying his actions were a betrayal of his Mexican heritage.

J. COMPEAN: She mentioned that it's gotten so bad that it made us turn against one of our own.

C. COMPEAN: He turned against one of his own, but I'm sorry, that smuggler is not one of his own.

WIAN: The U.S. Attorney's Office continues to decline our interview requests because the case is pending.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ ... dt.01.html

I think that Debra Kanof needs to be removed from a position of power and her actions in this case should be reviewed.
In my opinion, her statements are blatenly racist. Just because these two American citizens are of Hispanic decent doesn't mean that they should turn a blind eye to an illegal drug runner because he is Hispanic.
It makes me wonder if she is a member of LaRaza or worse, if she supports Reconquista.

This is the brief from the U.S. Atty's website.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_rel ... an.con.pdf

U.S. Department of JusticeU.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas
Johnny Sutton, U.S. Attorney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Shana Jones, Special Assistant Daryl Fields, Public Information Officer (210) 384-7440
March 8, 2006
TWO U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENTS CONVICTED OF ASSAULT CHARGES
United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced that a federal jury in El Paso this afternoon convicted two
U.S. Border Patrol agents on charges associated with a February 2005 shooting incident. The jury convicted Ignacio Ramos (a.k.a. “Nacho”) and Jose Alonso Compean with assault with serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a civil rights charge. Compean and Ramos were also convicted of four counts and two counts, respectively, of obstruction of justice. The jury acquitted both defendants of assault with intent to commit murder.
“Everyday the brave men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol put their lives on the line to protect us. We thank them for their sacrifice and trust them with the burden of enforcing the law. Agents Compean and Ramos abused that trust through violence and cover-up. The fact that they are now convicted and will soon be punished for their crimes is a perfect example of why America stands out as a country where no one is above the law,” stated United States Attorney Johnny Sutton.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that on February 17, 2005, the defendants attempted to apprehend a Mexican National, who was transporting a load of marijuana, while attempting to flee back into Mexico near Fabens, Texas. During the incident, Compean fired approximately 14 rounds from his service pistol; Ramos fired one round from his service pistol striking the victim. Ballistics testing confirmed that the bullet which struck the victim was from Ramos’ service weapon. In addition, jurors found that the defendants intentionally failed to report the shooting incident to supervisors, concealed evidence and obstructed the investigation. Finally, jurors convicted Compean of collecting and disposing the spent shell casings expelled from the defendants’ firearms in an effort to prevent them from being used in official proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Sutton commended the Office of Inspector General - Department of Homeland Security as well as the United States Border Patrol for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.
Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security stated, “The conviction in this case is a positive reflection of the United States Border Patrol’s attempt to guard our nation’s borders, while maintaining a high degree of integrity and understanding the necessity of strictly adhering to the laws of the United States. It is a tribute to the Border Patrol that they sought the legal process by assisting special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, in bringing to justice two of their own, who independently decided to take the law into their own hands. This verdict reaffirms that no one is above the law.”
Ramos and Compean each face up to life in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for 9:00am on June 8, 2006, before United States District Judge Kathleen Cardone. Assistant United States Attorneys Debra P. Kanof and Jose Luis Gonzalez are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
#####
This is Kanof's boss.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/us_attorney/index.html