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CA: Border agent gets 5 years for smuggling
AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/28/06 | Elliot Spagat - ap

Posted on 07/28/2006 12:03:19 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

SAN DIEGO - A Border Patrol agent who admitted smuggling more than 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico, some of them in his government truck, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison.

Prosecutors had asked for about three years, but U.S. District Judge John A. Houston decided a stiffer punishment was required for 29-year-old Oscar Antonio Ortiz.

"You violated the sacred trust of your comrades," the judge said. "As a link in the chain, they depended on you."

The corruption case is one in a spate involving Border Patrol agents at a time when the agency is on a hiring spree.

Ortiz himself came to the United States illegally as a boy, and not long before he applied for a job with the Border Patrol, he was arrested and accused of trying to drive two illegal immigrants across from Mexico.

But his superiors did not know any of that when he applied, because he produced a fake birth certificate.

Ortiz was arrested last August and pleaded guilty to charges that included conspiracy to bring in illegal aliens and making a false claim to U.S. citizenship.

His attorney, Stephen White, said Ortiz's mother obtained the fake birth certificate when Ortiz was 3, and Ortiz said he grew up thinking he was a U.S. citizen.

"I was blind at the time I made my mistake of smuggling," Ortiz said. "I regret it."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; US: California
KEYWORDS: 5years; agent; aliens; border; borderpatrol; buildthewall; california; corruption; illegals; immigrantlist; smuggling

1 posted on 07/28/2006 12:03:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

U.S. District Judge John A. Houston

President Bush appointee 2003


2 posted on 07/28/2006 12:04:52 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; 7.62 x 51mm; ..

ping


3 posted on 07/28/2006 12:07:00 PM PDT by gubamyster
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To: NormsRevenge

SAN DIEGO - A Border Patrol agent who admitted smuggling more than 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico, some of them in his government truck, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison."

And I'm sure he was the only one. I'm equally as sure none of them tip off coyotes about this, that, and the other. Just an all-around wholesome mistake...


4 posted on 07/28/2006 12:07:23 PM PDT by Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin
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To: NormsRevenge

article is also on net as

Border Patrol agent gets 5 years for immigrant smuggling


5 posted on 07/28/2006 12:07:54 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge
"I was blind at the time I made my mistake of smuggling," Ortiz said. "I regret it."

Yeah I'll bet you regret getting caught. Welcome home ...
6 posted on 07/28/2006 12:13:10 PM PDT by loosescrew
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To: All; NormsRevenge

That's about 18 days in prison per smuggled illegal. Does that sound like a reasonable sentence to anyone?


7 posted on 07/28/2006 1:00:59 PM PDT by newzjunkey (Support Arnold-McClintock or embrace higher taxes, gay weddings with Angelides.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Ortiz himself came to the United States illegally as a boy, and not long before he applied for a job with the Border Patrol

In the US, we hire ILLEGALS to patrol for illegals.

8 posted on 07/28/2006 1:09:48 PM PDT by gaijin
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To: gaijin
In the US, we hire ILLEGALS to patrol for illegals.

Just another hardworking future Republican willing to do the jobs Americans won't do!

Seriously, does the fact that he's smuggling his compadres surprise you? Blood is thicker than water. This is a perfect example of the dangers of allowing millions of people to live in your country who owe their allegiance to another country you share a border with.

9 posted on 07/28/2006 1:22:03 PM PDT by AppleButter
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To: gaijin

"Sacred trust"? What sacred trust? The BP is replete with corrupt Mexican-Americans -- and that is not bigotry talking, es la verdad.


10 posted on 07/28/2006 1:42:52 PM PDT by gaspar
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To: NormsRevenge
But his superiors did not know any of that when he applied, because he produced a fake birth certificate.

I don't know how the Border Patrol does things, but the DoD interviewed people and verified facts clear back to my birth when I got my clearance.

11 posted on 07/28/2006 2:15:56 PM PDT by John Jorsett (scam never sleeps)
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To: John Jorsett
I don't know how the Border Patrol does things

The BP does not do the backgrounds, the OPM does and they contract out.

12 posted on 07/28/2006 2:42:43 PM PDT by Marine Inspector (Deacon Blues!)
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To: gaijin

What did they expect? They hired an illegal to BP - this is beyond incompetence.


13 posted on 07/28/2006 3:18:10 PM PDT by Dante3
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To: Dante3

"What did they expect? They hired an illegal to BP - this is beyond incompetence."



We recently found out they are also allowed to live in Mexico full time, and commute to our side for work hours.

Ever notice how, usually the criminal BP have Mexican sounding names?



14 posted on 07/28/2006 3:24:36 PM PDT by ansel12 (Life is exquisite... of great beauty, keenly felt.)
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To: ansel12

That's insane.


15 posted on 07/28/2006 3:30:01 PM PDT by Dante3
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To: newzjunkey

It should have been one year per illegal.


16 posted on 07/28/2006 3:41:01 PM PDT by Condor 63
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To: NormsRevenge

So he'll be incarcerated for up to 5 years--and then deported?


17 posted on 07/28/2006 8:02:45 PM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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