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How cozy was Border Patrol with smuggler?
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | February 12, 2007 | Jerome Corsi

Posted on 02/12/2007 1:35:42 AM PST by Man50D

The Border Patrol agent with family ties to the Mexican drug smuggler in the case of two jailed border agents may have been involved in back-channel communications with Mexican drug cartels, investigative reports obtained by WND suggest, prompting calls for a special prosecutor to look into the charges.

"We now know that DHS and prosecutor U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton found [smuggler Osbaldo] Aldrete-Davila because the mother-in-law of Border Patrol Agent Rene Sanchez talked with Aldrete-Davila's mother on the phone," Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Friends of the Border Patrol, told WND. "How many other conversations in Mexico did Border Patrol Agent Rene Sanchez have and what was the purpose of those conversations?"

An investigative report filed by Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Christopher Sanchez on July 18, 2005, stated that on July 11, 2005, the DHS Office of Inspector General in El Paso spoke to Agent Rene Sanchez in the Wilcox, Ariz., BP Station, concerning a telephone call Sanchez made to Border Patrol Agent Nolan Blanchett in the Ysleta BP Station in Texas.

At the time of the phone call, Blanchett was temporarily assigned to the Fabens BP Station, the scene of the Feb. 17, 2005, incident with Aldrete-Davila that led to the imprisonment of agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean.

According to the July 18, 2005, DHS memorandum of activity:

(Rene) Sanchez stated that he called Blanchett one or two days after he spoke to DHS OIG on March 5, 2005. Sanchez said he asked Blanchett if he knew anything about a shooting that occurred on February 17, 2005 involving a van loaded with dope in which BP agents shot at the driver. Sanchez said Blanchett told him he knew nothing about the shooting.

A separate March 14, 2005, DHS memorandum of activity filed by Christopher Sanchez, documents that agent Rene Sanchez "queried the Border Patrol Tracking System and found that the Fabens Border Patrol Station seized a load of marijuana on February 17, 2005."

These reports drew the suspicion of Ramirez.

"Why is this Border Patrol Agent Rene Sanchez over in Wilcox, Arizona, so interested in searching out this drug bust information in Fabens, Texas?" Ramirez asked WND. "Sure, we know that Aldrete-Davila and Rene Sanchez grew up together in Mexico. But how much more to the story is there than that?"

WND has learned that prosecutor Sutton's office took steps to prevent Agent Nolan Blanchett from testifying in open court, claiming that Blanchett's testimony would compromise an ongoing investigation.

WND has also learned that Blanchett had received phone calls from BP Agent Rene Sanchez tipping Blanchett off that a sensor hit was about to take place on the border, giving advance warning that a drug-smuggling transport across the border was going to take place. Knowing in advance the when and where of a sensor hit on the border would allow a Border Patrol agent to be in position to interdict the drug shipment and arrest the smuggler.

"How do we know that Agent Rene Sanchez wasn't working with Aldrete-Davila's drug cartel?" Ramirez asked. "Calling Blanchett in advance and letting him know where to interdict a drug shipment might be a good way to eliminate the competition of Aldrete-Davila or whomever he is linked to."

At the Ramos-Compean trial, the defense was not allowed to call Border Patrol Blanchett to the stand for testimony.

"The connection is a little bit too convenient," Ramirez pointed out to WND. "Here we have this Border Patrol Agent Rene Sanchez over in Wilcox, Ariz., and the only way DHS and Johnny Sutton's office find out that Aldrete-Davila was the drug smuggler is because Rene Sanchez tips them off. Then Aldrete-Davila gets immunity and medical care from the prosecutor. Just how closely was Rene Sanchez working with the drug smuggler and what did Rene Sanchez stand to gain when Aldrete-Davila got immunity?"

WND has previously reported Aldrete-Davila's cell phone was found in the abandoned vehicle. This directly contradicts prosecutor Sutton's repeated claim that there was no evidence at the scene, which would have permitted law-enforcement investigators to identify Aldrete-Davila as the perpetrator.

"Where is Aldrete-Davila's telephone?" Ramirez asked WND. "I wonder if Rene Sanchez's phone number was one of the numbers in that phone's memory, or maybe others of higher ranks inside U.S. government agencies or bodies. But then again, what if this guy is a runner for the Tucson Mafia and I am not referring to people of European ancestry either. Why is it that even today nobody knows what network of people Aldrete-Davila called? Why isn't Johnny Sutton going after the drug dealer's network? He gave Davila immunity, not the people Davila liked to call."

WND has obtained the transcripts from the Ramos-Compean trial for the testimony given by Border Patrol Agent Arturo Vasquez on Feb. 24, 2006, and by Agent Oscar Juarez on Feb. 23 and 24, 2006. Both agents gave testimony about the drug dealer's cell phone they found on the scene on Feb. 17, 2005.

Vasquez testified he found the phone in the front seat of the abandoned drug smuggler's Ford Econoline van, with a charging device plugged into the cigarette lighter.

In cross-examination by defense, Vasquez testified about the cell phone as follows:

Q: While you're looking at the phone, you're scrolling through whatever information you can find? A: Yes.

Q: Did you notice whether or not any of the calls are recent?

A: I didn't have the chance to find what I was looking for. I didn't have enough time to get into some of the directory, the actual directory where you can get that information from. Because, while we were going that (Supervisor) Agent (Jonathan) Richards and Lance (Mendrano) got to the area and I had to hand the phone over to Agent Mendrano.

Q: I thought your testimony, though, was tat was, pretty much, all you do is check out the phone.

A: Yes, but I didn't get to the part where I could actually see times and all that.

At this point, prosecutor Debra Kanof interrupted and objected that the testimony was not relevant to the guilt or innocence of Ramos and Compean. Judge Kathleen Cardone agreed, commenting, "It's late on a Friday ... ."

Judge Cardone ruled out cross-examination about the cell phone, stating: "Mr. Aldrete-Davila is not on trial. And everybody knows he's got a phone and everybody knows he was transporting the drugs, but, unless we're getting somewhere that's got to do with this case, I'm concerned we're going of ... ." At that point, Judge Cardone was interrupted once again by Debra Kanof.

On page 186 of his testimony, Agent Juarez corroborated Agent Vasquez's testimony that the drug smuggler's cell phone was found in the abandoned van containing 743 pounds of marijuana.

WND is unable to determine who currently has possession of the cell phone or if any law-enforcement officers made any attempt to identify the owner or the identify of the names in the incoming and outgoing call memory, or the service provider records of the same.

As far as WND can determine, no law-enforcement agency made any attempt to identify Aldrete-Davila's drug network or associates from the recovered cell phone, or if agents were able to determine if the phone records indicate any calls to or received from Border Patrol agents or others connected with U.S. agencies or law enforcement.

As WND previously reported, Agent Vasquez was fired by the Border Patrol and Agent Juarez resigned in anticipation of being fired.


TOPICS: Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: aliens; borderagents; borderpatrol; buildit; bushbasherhideout; compean; fence; frobls; immigrantlist; ramos; renesanchez; wall; yahoos
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To: savedbygrace

You may be right.


21 posted on 02/12/2007 5:45:20 AM PST by Jane Austen
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To: calcowgirl

THanks. According to that, the testimony of the two agents was available in transcript form on june 1st of last year.

So we have known about the cell phones for over 7 months.


22 posted on 02/12/2007 5:45:21 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Uncle Chip
It's high time for Johnny to come clean.

In our dreams. Johnny's marching to orders from many, many pay-grades above him!

23 posted on 02/12/2007 5:47:20 AM PST by varon (Allegiance to the constitution, always. Allegiance to a political party, never.)
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To: Man50D

ping for later


24 posted on 02/12/2007 5:57:30 AM PST by Ladycalif (Free The Texas 3 - Ramos, Compean and Hernandez)
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To: 1rudeboy

I'm not in the drug business so I don't understand the difference between a mule and a smuggler. Are you saying that the drug dealers in Mexico would be ok with losing 748 lbs. of dope? I heard the street value was over 1 mil. Was he the only one in the van or were there others who also escaped?


25 posted on 02/12/2007 6:06:06 AM PST by panthermom (Duncan Hunter 2008!)
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To: calcowgirl

Good work. Thank you.


26 posted on 02/12/2007 6:07:41 AM PST by truthkeeper (It's the borders, stupid.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
I'm beginning to see a reason why stuff might be under seal -- Sanchez/Sanchez apparently were key players in controlling the drug trafficking over our border, and the focus on their efforts has probably ruined that for us.

Nope --- agents like Ramos and Compean were instrumental in controlling the border, but their unwarranted prosecution has ruined that. Where's that cell phone, hmmm???

27 posted on 02/12/2007 6:16:20 AM PST by Uncle Chip (TRUTH : Ignore it. Deride it. Allegorize it. Interpret it. But you can't ESCAPE it.)
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To: panthermom
Please understand that I'm not making a determination regarding this specific case. It is theoretically possible for a "mule" (who is an individual paid to transport drugs he does not "own") to be unarmed.

In fact, a smart mule probably understands that, if he's caught, he'll do significantly less jail time if he's unarmed.

In the same vein, a Crip selling meth on a street-corner in L.A. carries nothing but a cell phone with which he contacts his "mule," (who is usually a juvenile) possesing the drugs. The gun? It's carried by his "muscle" just out of sight. Division of labor, and all that.

28 posted on 02/12/2007 6:18:29 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Uncle Chip

The cell phone was not the drug "smuggler's" phone.

I've been reading the DHS report, and it is an eye-opener. Nobody should be considered competent to post unless they have read the report. According to the report:

The van was not the "smugglers". The Van was in the united states with the drugs and the cell phone. Davilas was paid to cross into the U.S., meet the person with the Van, and drive the van to another location. The cell phone was in the van.

So it is quite possible that Davilas never touched the cell phone, and his prints are not on it.


29 posted on 02/12/2007 6:32:22 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: 1rudeboy

Reading the DHS report, the guy was really just a driver, and apparently not a regular (Of course, this is probably a disputed fact -- to those who don't believe the investigators, the report will be dismissed).

He had to sneak over the border, and then he met up with the van to drive it to another location. So he may not have owned a gun, and they may not have given him a gun -- his job was to be an "anonymous" driver, one that wouldn't arouse suspicion, and one who with no record might get off easy if caught (plus he could plead ignorance of the drugs in the back, with no prints on them since he never touched the drugs).

The story makes a lot more sense reading the report.

Another interesting thing. There are many redacted parts of the report, because in the U.S. we have certain privacy rights. It's clear now that WND has been getting unredacted reports, for example the guy's medical treatment. Leaking the man's private medical treatment report was probably a violation of the law, and something most of us would frown upon if the guy wasn't an illegal.


30 posted on 02/12/2007 6:37:55 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Man50D
I posted in earlier threads that the 2 border agents were imprisoned because the 'impeded the flow of economic trade'. I was half-sarcastic, half-serious.

I also have posted that famous quote from Judge Judy: "Follow the money."

In this case, it seems more and more that drug money may have bought allot of friends and influenced allot of people.
31 posted on 02/12/2007 6:45:54 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: 1rudeboy

This report is pretty useful.

For example, the pro-pardon folks make a big deal out of the fact that the bullet taken from davilas was in Sanchez's posession overnight and therefore could have been swapped out.

But the report indicates Sanchez had no access to Ramos's gun, which was taken from Ramos by a different agent at a different time. So there was no way for Sanchez to substitute bullets.

And the report notes that there was a preliminary and a final study of the bullet, the preliminary to determine the types of weapons that could fire the bullet, and then the match against bullets from all five of the agents that were known to be on scene at that point.

It is also interesting to note that, at the time, they didn't know it was Compean and Ramos who shot. Davilas didn't know the names of the men, he provided a description -- and the initial interviews with all the agents had them all saying there was no shooting. Later the five all confessed to who did the shooting; there was no way for Sanchez to have known it was Ramos for whom he would have to plant a bullet as evidence, and not Compean or one of the other agents.

As with most conspiracy theories, this one only sounds good when you have only a vague, passing reference to the facts. The report also explains how police verify a criminal's testimony, noting that they separately interviewed the criminal and the other agents, and then studied the scene to determine that the story told by the criminal matched the information given by the other agents.


32 posted on 02/12/2007 6:48:21 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: CharlesWayneCT
The van was not the "smugglers". The Van was in the united states with the drugs and the cell phone. Davilas was paid to cross into the U.S., meet the person with the Van, and drive the van to another location. The cell phone was in the van.

I posted a query a week or two previous about the van. I read one report that said the van was licensed in Texas. I posted the question: How did the smuggler (from Mexico) get access to a TX licensed van? Did he steal it? Did someone loan it to him? Who, then, is the US/Texas registered owner of the van?

That TX license plate seemed to have been skipped over by both officials and reporters. It might be worth the time and effort to see where/to whom that information leads.
33 posted on 02/12/2007 6:52:31 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: Man50D; Robert Drobot; angelsonmyside; GOPPachyderm; Issaquahking; thegreatbeast; TejanoJim; ...

BP Ping!

If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.


34 posted on 02/12/2007 6:53:19 AM PST by SwinneySwitch (Terroristas - beyond your expectations!)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
Did you see the article I pinged you to yesterday?

Regarding the bullet, I didn't touch the issue (waiting for more information instead) because it simply sounded like another one of those Corsi-esque "manufactured" controversies. I haven't read the report yet, but I suspect the "double bullet theory" is taking on water.

35 posted on 02/12/2007 6:56:39 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: CharlesWayneCT
Compean's initial statement for example, corroborated testimony from Davilas. Davilas had told the agents he had heard an agent yell "hit him" when he was trying to surrender to Compean. Compean said in his statement that he had heard someone yell "hit him" at the same time. See, corroboration by two people interviewed separately who don't know the other's testimony.

I especially liked this observation from the report. Compean denied "swinging" his shotgun at Davilas. Instead, he said he tried to push Davilas back into the canal with the butt of the shotgun against Davilas's chest. The report notes: If Compean's described action was true, it would have meant he pointed the barrel of the weapon directly toward himself, while presenting the firing mechanism (trigger) to Aldrete-Davila

Oops. Compean's initial statement then says that while trying to do this "push" he lost his balance and slipped into the ditch.

The report then says that in this initial interview, Compean claimed he thought Davila had a gun, but that, quoting from the report: even though Compean later recanted his original statement by stating he was "never really certain" that Aldrete-Davila had a gun.

36 posted on 02/12/2007 6:56:43 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: panthermom

Aldrete-Davila said he was unarmed. Isn't the word of a drug smuggler good enough for you?

Sheesh. Some people have impossibly high standards. :p


37 posted on 02/12/2007 7:03:16 AM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: varon
Johnny's marching to orders from many, many pay-grades above him!

And his orders are not all in English, nor all from one government.

38 posted on 02/12/2007 7:06:10 AM PST by La Enchiladita (Hunter/Poe 2008 "Once again, our government is on the wrong side of the border war")
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran

Listen to this. This past Saturday, there was a support rally in Hollywood for Ramos, Compean and Hernandez. Of course, the opposition was there, in full Zapatista regalia, many carrying the yellow and black "Amnistia" signs. I watched some video clips on the evening news and when they interviewed one of the pro-amnesty twits, he "knowledgeably" stated that Aldrete was just another "poor immigrant."

He said this sort of haltingly, so likely knew he was lying, but had to follow the orders of www.socialist.org.


39 posted on 02/12/2007 7:11:41 AM PST by La Enchiladita (Hunter/Poe 2008 "Once again, our government is on the wrong side of the border war")
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To: TomGuy; calcowgirl

calcowgirl, see post 33.


40 posted on 02/12/2007 7:14:13 AM PST by La Enchiladita (Hunter/Poe 2008 "Once again, our government is on the wrong side of the border war")
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