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  1. #1

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    Special counsel sought for imprisoned border agents

    http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=53823

    Special counsel sought for imprisoned border agents
    Head of union wants probe of case against 'innocent men doing their job'

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Posted: January 18, 2007
    1:00 a.m. Eastern


    By Jerome R. Corsi
    © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com



    TJ Bonner
    The head of a union representing most Border Patrol agents is calling on President Bush and Congress to appoint a special counsel to investigate the case of agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean
    , who began prison sentences yesterday for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler.

    TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents 60 percent of the nation's agents, called the convictions an outrage.

    "This case involves two innocent men doing their job, trying to secure our borders," he told WND. "They were defending themselves against an armed drug smuggler, and yet they end up in prison. How is that possible?"
    On Tuesday, federal Judge Kathleen Cardone of El Paso, Texas, denied Ramos' and Compean's contention they were not a flight risk and rejected their motion to stay out of prison on bond while they appeal their case to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

    Bonner told WND the agents' imprisonment will have a detrimental effect on the willingness of Border Patrol agents to go out and enforce immigration laws.
    "The Bush administration is sending a message to all law enforcement officers," Bonner told WND, "that it is to be 'hands off the border, leave it wide open, don't you dare do your jobs or you too will end up in federal prison.' "After this travesty of justice," he continued, "why would any Border Patrol agent stick their neck out trying to apprehend a Mexican drug smuggler, especially when you realize that you could be the one who ends up behind bars?"

    The Bush administration continues to argue on background that Ramos and Compean lied to Border Patrol officials and covered up evidence, asserting the Mexican drug smuggler was not armed and had attempted to surrender peacefully.

    Bonner disagrees, arguing there were "only three people who saw what happened on the other side of that levee – Agent Ramos, Agent Compean, and the Mexican drug smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila."

    "The agents testified that the drug smuggler did not have his hands up, that he was running away, and that he pointed an object at them that they believed to be a gun. So, the agents opened fire," Bonner said. "Essentially, what the White House is saying is that they believe the word of a drug smuggler over the word of two sworn federal agents."

    The Bush administration further charges Ramos and Compean failed to file a report that was required after their weapons had been discharged.

    Bonner argues that under Border Patrol policy, Ramos and Compean were required to make an oral report, not a written report.

    "The agents did fail to make an oral report, but under Border Patrol policy, that failure merits at most a five-day suspension. It is not a crime, it is an administrative violation."
    Bonner said a lot of Americans are wondering why the Bush administration seems to be making an effort to represent the case the way the drug smuggler wants it seen.

    "If you go to the U.S. attorney's website and look at their version of the events, it looks like the drug smuggler wrote that statement himself," he said. "The U.S. attorney is relying on the drug smuggler's statements, and this drug smuggler has everything to gain by lying."
    Bonner pointed out the drug smuggler is suing the federal government for $5 million.

    "The government is aiding his case by prosecuting these Border Patrol agents wrongfully," Bonner said. "The U.S. government has virtually guaranteed that Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila is going to walk away."

    A statement from U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, published Oct. 23, 2006, on the U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, claims Compean and Ramos "shot 15 times at an unarmed man who was running away from them and posed no threat. They lied about what happened, covered up the shooting, conspired to destroy the evidence and then proceeded to write up and file a false report."

    In the Feb. 17, 2005 incident, the van driven by Aldrete-Davila was found subsequently to contain 743 pounds of marijuana.

    Aldrete-Davila was hit in the buttocks in the shooting incident.

    In exchange for giving his testimony at trial, Aldrete-Davila was given immunity by the U.S. government for all events occurring in that incident, including his drug smuggling into the United States.

    A rumor persists that Aldrete-Davila subsequently was arrested in October 2005 smuggling another 1,000 pounds of marijuana, but the indictment was sealed and later expunged because Aldrete-Davila was the star witness in the government's case against Ramos and Compean.

    In a telephone interview with WND, Shana Jones, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Sutton's office, denied Aldrete-Davila had ever been arrested for drug smuggling.

    A "Myths vs. Facts" press release published yesterday by Sutton's office repeated the denial, stating, "The Western District of Texas leads the nation in the number of individuals we prosecute for illegally smuggling drugs into this country. If we had a provable case against Aldrete, we would prosecute him."

    Sutton's press release denied Aldrete-Davila was given "blanket immunity" for any crimes he may have committed or may commit in the future.

    The U.S. attorney argued giving Aldrete-Davila a promise that the government would not use his truthful statements gave up very little, because the case against him "was not prosecutable."

    Sutton states there was no provable evidence against Aldrete-Davila "until he agreed to cooperate."

    Shana Jones argued to WND that a jury convicted Ramos and Compean, rejecting the version of events they presented in self-defense. Sutton continues to maintain the agents committed a crime by firing at an unarmed suspect who was fleeing the scene, stating in the "Myths v. Facts" press release that, "This is a crime and prosecutors cannot look the other way."

    Bonner told WND he strongly insists Ramos and Compean should never have been prosecuted.

    "What you have here is a case of two Border Patrol agents going to prison for simply trying to do their jobs," he said. It's a tragedy beyond description. "Both men have small children and how do you explain this to the children who are old enough to talk and comprehend what is happening?" he asked. "How do you explain to a child why Daddy is going to prison for a long time? At that age, things are black and white. Good people are on the outside of the prison bars and bad people are behind bars. How do you explain that Daddy's going to prison even though he did nothing wrong?"

    Bonner told WND the case also shatters his faith in the rule of law.

    "How is it that the drug smuggler goes free, but the two Border Patrol agents who were trying to apprehend him are going to prison?"
    he asked. "In this case, the drug smuggler not only gets off totally free, he walks away laughing then turns around to sue the federal government for $5 million.

    "The drug smuggler is going to end off well-paid for his crime while the families of Ramos and Compean are going to suffer for years because these husbands and fathers were trying to do their sworn duty as Border Patrol agents."

    Bonner said the Bush administration has been a "big disappointment to those of us in the conservative base who worked hard to elect him president in 2000 and 2004."

    "There is no doubt in my mind that Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila is a lieutenant in the Mexican drug cartels," he said. "There is a drug war waging across our borders, and the Bush administration's unwillingness to pardon agents Ramos and Compean only serves to put the drug cartels on notice that our borders will remain wide open to them. Ramos and Compean should be given medals for doing what they did, not going to jail. The whole case is an outrage and a tragedy."

    The National Border Patrol Council ( http://www.nbpc.net/) has set up a Border Patrol Agents Legal Defense and Relief Fund. The group's website notes all donations designated for Ramos and Compean will be used to fund their legal defense and assist their families.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Skip's Avatar
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    Yesterday on the Roger Hedgecock Show, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton was interviewed. I'll post the audio when it is released.

    Johnny Sutton said that if the two Agents had filed an adminsitrative report, that all would have been forgiven and they would still have their jobs.

    Translation: They will now get 10 years in prison for not filing a report!

    He said that the Border Patrol Agents were heros, and he had no problem with Agents shooting illegal Aliens as long as they filed the proper reports.

    Roger hedgecock did a good interview, and when he was done he cut Sutton off short and hung up on him.

    R/ Skip

    http://rogerhedgecock.com/component/opt ... /Itemid,1/

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