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Morning "CalGal"! The ballistics is confusing and so is the defense strategy. Compean fires many shots [I think his lawyer argued it was less than 14, but still many shots], but Ramos fires only one. Granted that Ramos scored 90+ in marksmanship and Compean 70+, but the difference in the number of shots fired by each is significant.

It still puzzles me and apparently those who view the trial from a different perspective as to why Ramos' team would "stipulate" that the bullet removed was his. If I recall correctly, Renee Sanchez took both the bullet and OAD home with him for the night. This would seem a terrible corruption of the chain of evidence.

Lastly, the cell phone issue has interested me. OAD claimed, I think, that he left his cellphone in his van. The testimony said, I think, that the cellphone in the van was plugged in. OAD denied, I think, that his cellphone was plugged in. So, did he in fact have the cellphone with him but lied that he didn't to avoid the notion that his use of his cellphone would appear to be a weapon to the BP. OAD was picked up on the Mexican side. How did his accomplices know to meet him at that spot?

And, [last] lastly, why was the cellphone in the van never traced back, at least to find the names of call recipients.

This case shows an aggressive investigation of the Agents, but very little about the drug smuggling. The prosecution makes a big deal over the BP Agents overstepping their mission to stop illegal immigration by getting into drug dealers. The same could be said about the DHS who should be investigating drug smugglers [instead of giving immunity] and they did not. Question: why?

I can't figure the defense strategy either. As to the bullet, I think you meant Chris Sanchez. Have you seen anything in the testimony about the chain of custody, or is the allegation that he took it home from a news article? What I glean from the transcripts, the chain of custody was as follows: OAD's leg--> doctor--> C.Sanchez (DHS-OIG)--> B.Carter (DHS-OIG)-->Crime lab. The doctor gave it to Sanchez on March 16, and Carter gave it to the Crime lab on March 17. It is curious as to what happened in between.

As to the cell phone, I haven't read that testimony yet. But I think any follow up on OAD's cohorts would have been handled by the DEA as that is beyond the jurisdiction of either the Border Patrol or the OIG.

One tidbit I read in Rene Sanchez's testimony is that he actually gave Chris Sanchez OAD's telephone number the first time he was talked to him to tell him about the alleged shooting incident. I guess a telephone number wasn't enough for Sutton to follow up on the smuggling angle. (Vol 5, p. 236-37)