Posted on 08/22/2006 10:48:57 PM PDT by STARWISE
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have asked for congressional hearings and reviews by the White House and Justice Department into the conviction of two U.S. Border Patrol agents who shot and wounded a fleeing drug suspect.
The agents, convicted by a federal jury in El Paso in March, face 20 years in prison at a sentencing hearing next month.
"It appears the facts do not add up or justify the length of the sentences for these agents, let alone their conviction on multiple counts," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat. "Border Patrol agents have a difficult and often dangerous job in guarding our nation's borders.
"Undue prosecution of Border Patrol agents could have a chilling effect on their ability to carry out their duties," Mrs. Feinstein said in a letter Monday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, requesting a full hearing into the matter.
She asked Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales last week to investigate the case. The U.S. attorney's office in El Paso, which reports to the Justice Department, prosecuted the two agents.
In a letter to President Bush, Rep. Walter B. Jones, North Carolina Republican, asked the White House to review the case, saying the prosecution was "outrageous." He said it did nothing but "tie the hands of the Border Patrol and prevent the agency from securing America against a flood of illegal immigrants, drugs, counterfeit goods and, quite possibly, terrorists."
"This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing immigration laws," Mr. Jones said. "These two agents should not be made scapegoats for our government's enforcement failures."
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
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Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, a Mexican national, was wounded as he ran from the agents along the Rio Grande after they said he pointed what appeared to be a gun at them as they tried to apprehend him. Nearly 800 pounds of marijuana, worth $1 million, was found in the van that he abandoned at the river's edge, the Border Patrol said.
I am happy about this action.
I do not understand how the jury could've come to this verdict.
Mr. Aldrete-Davila, who was given immunity by prosecutors to testify against the agents, also received care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso. He is suing the government for $5 million for violating his civil rights.
Conflicting testimony and changed stories on the part of the agents. The jury must have believed the agent shot the illegal drug dealer in the back. The agent claimed the the guy was facing him sideways but turned just as the agent fired.
Yep -- this is outrageous and despressing.
What about the drug dealer apparently pointing a weapon at the agents?
O'Reilly covered it fairly and he's sick about the verdict too,. They are talking about giving these two GOOD men 20 year sentences.
I guess thet believed the illelag more than they believed the border agents. Novel idea, huh?
It's incredible that this could even happen.
Well now Cindy, that just makes too much sense!
Indeed. They need congress or the AG to step in, and maybe they will.
If he's on our side of the border, he should be referred to as an "illegal alien."
Double tap would have saved a lot of trouble.
Sensebrenner is apparently planning an investigation and hearings.
And he'll get it too. It just has to be timely. Those gus do not belong in prison.
IIRC, one of the agents won Best agent of the year award and I think he won it twice.
We'll keep them in our prayers.
Absolutely. I missed it on O'Reilly ... it's really shocking that the Border Patrol IG went over the border, tracked down the drug dealer criminal, and gave him immunity to testify against the agents. Why all this effort? They already had the perp on the drugs, didn't they?
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