Posted on 11/16/2007 11:54:45 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
If convicted of the marijuana-related charges, he faces up to 40 years in prison
EL PASO — An admitted Mexican drug smuggler shot by a pair of U.S. Border Patrol agents who were convicted in the shooting made his first appearance on marijuana charges Friday in federal court.
Handcuffed and wearing a bulletproof vest, Osvaldo Aldrete Davila was escorted to the federal courthouse Friday by two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents. He declined to speak with reporters as he walked the short distance from the jail and did not speak in court except to acknowledge that he understood the charges.
Aldrete, who was shot in the buttocks in February 2005 while fleeing from the agents, was arrested Thursday at the El Paso border crossing and is charged with smuggling marijuana into the United States in September and October of that year.
The agents, Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, were convicted last year of shooting Aldrete and lying about it. Both were sentenced to more than a decade in prison. They have appealed.
Aldrete, who acknowledged smuggling drugs the day he was shot, was given immunity for the first smuggling attempt to testify against the agents.
The convictions of Ramos and Compean caused a national firestorm among conservative lawmakers and others. Critics have repeatedly called the prosecution unjustified and the sentences extreme.
Aldrete was indicted in October on charges of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to import a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The indictment was unsealed Thursday after his arrest. He is being held without bond.
If convicted of the most serious charges, Aldrete faces up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million. He is to return to court Wednesday for a bond hearing.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Mesa said court records showed Aldrete has hired a lawyer, though none was present during Friday's brief hearing.
Well, let's hope that happens...
PING
Here’s another article
Alleged smuggler appears in court
EL PASO - An admitted Mexican drug smuggler shot by a pair of U.S. Border Patrol agents later convicted in the shooting made his first appearance in federal court on Friday on drug charges.
Osvaldo Aldrete Davila was shot in the buttocks in February 2005. He was fleeing from border agents during an attempted smuggling attempt.
Aldrete was in court in El Paso on charges that he smuggled marijuana into the United States in September and October of that year.
Former agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean are serving prison terms for shooting at Aldrete, then trying to conceal the shooting.
Aldrete was originally given immunity by the U.S. Attorney’s office to testify against the two.
He was arrested Thursday at the Ysleta port of entry, an El Paso border crossing.
In court, he did not speak except to say “yes, sir” in Spanish when asked by U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Mesa if he understood the charges against him.
Mesa said court records showed that Aldrete has hired a lawyer, though none was present during today’s brief hearing.
He is being held without bond at the El Paso County jail.
http://www.kvia.com/global/story.asp?s=7367973
For shooting a drug smuggler in the A$$! WTH?
Aim should of been higher. Being shot in the kidneys means curtains.
I think the agents were charged and then convicted because they failed to follow procedure to report the incident.
They really should get a pardon, but they did make a major mistake in not reporting it.
Some others on this board know much more than I do, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt.
It was reported..their supervisors were there at the time...
The were convicted on trumped up charges...
Search for Ramos and Compean and you'll find many threads on this case. There is also a ping list.
Those two guys should have been given a medal, not jail.
Disgraceful.
I didn't hear Dana Rohrabacher on Glenn Beck, but my friend called to tell me he was hardhitting toward Sutton, the Bush administration and what was happening with the borders and Ramos and Compean.
I’ll tell you something that really stinks to high heaven about this case.
Charges were NOT filed immediately, it was after another BP agent who had no jurisdiction became involved because of their childhood friendship and mothers relationship. It would not surprise me in the least if he helped set Ramos and Compean up.
My brothers are both LE and after becoming police they distanced themselves from any shady friends they had growing up.
I didn’t hear Dana Rohrabacher on Glenn Beck, but my friend called to tell me he was hardhitting toward Sutton, the Bush administration and what was happening with the borders and Ramos and Compean.
**************************************
I just checked GlennBeck.Com and he doesn’t have the 11/16/2007 archive up yet ,, bottom line is that Sutton lied bigtime when on his show about 4 months ago, here’s the link to the original interview where Sutton implied that Compean and Ramos were dirty as can be.. http://www.glennbeck.com/news/07192007b.shtml , Compean and Ramos followed procedures and did report the incident to their superiors WHO WERE ONSITE along with a total of 11 border agents , they were persecuted because they drew attempted to enforce our border laws and the higher ups want the border patrol taking 8 hour siestas not catching drug smugglers...
Think about it ... if they were “dirty” wouldn’t you “confiscate” 700+ lbs. of marijuana for resale.. I sure would and move to a nice beach...
“If convicted of the most serious charges, Aldrete faces up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million.”
Add Ramos and Campeon’s time to it, and let them out.
Thanks Neidermeyer!
The face only a mother could love — at best.
I love it when Karma happens.
sw
I will not vote in this Election unless Ramos and Compean are freed.
Screw every single republican, including Bush.
He is to return to court Wednesday for a BOND hearing.
$500 BILLION?
It disturbs me that Bush has not stepped in to grant amnesty for this injustice.
However, I doubt Bush will ever grant amnesty due to the fact that it will make his good friend attorney Johnny Sutton look bad.
Finally some justice for Compean and Ramos?
Give Ramos amd Compean the $2 million
I hope the judge calls Flight Risk and doesnt let him out on a bond...
Whatever the bond is he or his buddies would have the money to get him out...
That’s not going to help anyone but the Democrats.
10% would be $50 Billion, Nana.
Then give them Sutton for 15 minutes...
“Bout time. I want the judge to shoot him in the ass as well, but you might need a new law for that.
Here again, they’re treated better than we are. Time to shoot illegals criminals in the ass more than once.
I hope he gets 40 years instead of another huge perk.
Well his chosen lifestyle doesn’t help any...
I must say that my hopes for Bush were never high to begin with, but he did find a way to excede how low I thought he could go.
On the War on Terrorism I give him generally high marks as it relates to Iraq and Afghanista. On just about everything else he has been a warmed over bucked of horse whiz.
Maybe he’s ready to tell us something about Sutton?
Sutton needs to lose his job!
I sure hope so! I suspect there's plenty to be told, but my guess is that he knows what would happen to him if he spilled any of it and who would protect him in prison? Not the DOJ, BOP or WH.
Oye, feo!
I believe the president was a mile better than Algore on defending the country.
However, when Bush had the opportunity to cement conservative ideas in this country for a long time to come he dropped the ball.
Instead of leading his base to victory he and his appointed minions found solitude with the Rights sworn enemies.
It seemed at times President Bush favored the company of Murdering Ted Kennedy over that of the ones he courted during the election.
Another words, preferring to dance with those who didn’t bring him to the big dance.
BTW
Watching the Democrat debate the other night confirmed what I have known all along, that is the Democrats don’t have a candidate that has an ounce of common sense.
That, should a Democrat get elected this country will soon be in peril.
That the Democrat focus groups interviewed are a poor excuse for American citizens.
Could the focus group manager not have gotten any better looking folks for the group..whew! what and ugly bunch of critters....
Each group seemed like they were made up of air heads, morons and just plain no common sense, feel good fruit cakes.
I agree with your thoughts, and your views of the democrats.
I see the Bush term in office about the same way I see the Republican control of Congress. Failed opportunites, and misguided support for inappropriate programs...
Bush’s biggest failure has been his promotion of illegal immigration. “Job’s American’s won’t do” The worst insult by any POTUS to his fellow countrymen I have ever heard.
I can’t argue with that. I agree.
Here’s the link to Glenns 11/16 (friday) monologue on the border ..
http://www.glennbeck.com/news/11162007c.shtml
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