Posted on 01/17/2007 4:24:55 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
(CNSNews.com) - As two U.S. Border Patrol agents surrendered to federal marshals Wednesday afternoon to begin serving more than a decade in jail for shooting an illegal drug smuggler, a federal lawmaker and conservative advocacy group expressed outrage at President Bush for not pardoning the men.
"This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said of the president.
"It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party," the California Republican added in comments coinciding with the jailing of agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
Rohrabacher said Bush "obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders."
Ramos and Compean reportedly handed themselves over to the U.S. Marshal's office in El Paso, Texas, early Wednesday afternoon, facing the prospect of 11- and 12-year prison terms, respectively, for a string of offenses including the use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Steve Elliott, president of the conservative group Grassfire.org, also lashed out at Bush on Wednesday.
The American people "have a vivid picture of where the Bush administration really stands on border security," Elliott charged in a news release.
He described the crimes committed by Ramos and Compean as "so-called civil rights violations against an illegal alien drug smuggler who has been smuggling drugs into this country for years and was smuggling 743 pounds of marijuana at the time of the confrontation."
Elliott also argued that the U.S. attorney's office did not have to pursue the case, prosecute the men, "take the word of an illegal alien drug smuggler over that of our border agents" or give the illegal alien immunity.
"President Bush could have spoken out publicly in support of these agents and how their incarceration could further cripple our border security efforts," he added.
Instead, Elliot said, "when it came time to stand and be counted on the side of our border agents, the president's administration chose to side with a career illegal alien drug smuggler."
As Cybercast News Service previously reported, Ramos and Compean encountered Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila while on duty on Feb. 17, 2005. When they tried to stop him, he fled and was shot and wounded. Aldrete-Davila was treated at a hospital in El Paso and then returned to Mexico.
After learning of the shooting, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton sought out Aldrete-Davila in Mexico and offered him immunity from prosecution if he would return to the United States to testify against Ramos and Compean.
Sutton later defended the decision, arguing that the agents did not have knowledge of any criminal activity involving Aldrete-Davila at the time they shot him.
Ramos and Compean were charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with serious bodily injury, discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, willfully violating Aldrete-Davila's Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizure and obstruction of justice for intentionally defacing the crime scene, lying about the incident, and failing to report the truth.
During a press briefing last Friday, White House spokesman Tony Snow addressed the case and criticism at some length.
"According to the facts presented in court, you had an incident in which there was an attempt to pull somebody over. He finally got pulled over; somebody holds out a gun. Sort of scuffling ensues," Snow said.
"And what happens is you've got a fellow running away, and a couple of agents eventually in pursuit, firing 14 shots at him - I think 15, actually. Fourteen by one agent missed, one did strike him in the fleshy hindquarters," he added.
"Now, at the time this happened, they did not know if he was an illegal," Snow continued.
"They did not know that there were 700 pounds of marijuana [in Aldrete-Davila's van]. They didn't know any of those things. But instead you had this. They also had received arms training the day before that said if you have an incident like this, you must preserve the evidence and you must report it promptly," he said.
"Instead, according to court documents, they went around and picked up the shell casings. Furthermore, they asked one of their colleagues also to help pick up shell casings. They disposed of them," Snow added.
Snow noted that a jury convicted the agents on 11 out of 12 counts and defended the government's stance.
"This is not the case of the United States saying, we are not going to support people who go after drug dealers. Of course we are ... we also believe that the people who are working to secure that border themselves obey the law," he said.
So should their bosses in Washington DC and not many are calling for their prosecution or resignations for deliberately failing to uphold the border laws of the United States. But hey these were just two BP's. Laws was written for us, for them, but not for the so called ruling class who created the conditions those men worked under. It applies to us, to the BP agents but hardly ever the illegals for one reason or another it seems.
The US Attorney in this case should resign as well for giving immunity to a major career multi-offense felon. His wrongs, the BP agents wrongs, do not make the illegal deeds right which is just what the US attorney has accomplished. If he had the evidence he said he did he could have gotten the BP's on enough issues to make certain they never worked so much as even a county deputy again anywhere and could have done so without supporting the illegals career and trying to pass him off to us as an innocent man. That right there is inexcusable conduct on his part.
I did quite a bit of looking {searches} last night where cops have shot persons under questionable circumstances. This was pretty severe. I found quite a few resulting in death that didn't get this harsh a sentence and no the BP's did not intend to kill this man.
I don't dispute their need of punishment to a lesser degree {probation} but rather their severe sentence vs the obvious pandering to the one who testified against them for $5M and will not despite his multiple offense see a day in a U.S. jail for any of them.
Cut the crap Mr Dog Puke. Here's your latest illegal alien killer. This pukin illegal alien roamed free. He was free as a bird despite drunk driving charges until he killed some Americans. So where was the law here Mr. Dog Puke? The same law that actively sought out and prosecuted two righteous Border Patrol agents let this killer_to_be_scumbag roam free
Cut the crap Mr Dog Puke. Here's your latest illegal alien killer.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1769226/posts?page=168
This pukin illegal alien roamed free. He was free as a bird despite drunk driving charges until he killed some Americans. So where was the law here Mr. Dog Puke? The same law that actively sought out and prosecuted two brave Border Patrol agents let this killer_to_be_scumbag roam free
"A "proper conservative" knows that granting invading foreign drug-smugglers immunity for their crimes against America in order to prosecute border patrol agents who shot him in the butt, thereby permitting said foreign drug-smuggler to sue the taxpayers for $5 million for violating HIS "civil rights," is suicidal liberalism."
If you had read post 44 you could have saved your post to me.
Myth: THE GOVERNMENT GAVE ALDRETE BLANKET IMMUNITY FOR HIS CRIMES
Reality: Agent Compean failed to arrest Aldrete when he attempted to surrender; instead, Compean tried to hit Aldrete with the butt of his shotgun, at which time Aldrete began to run towards the border. The agents shot at him 15 times, hitting him once, knocking Aldrete to the ground.
Compean and Ramos chose not to walk over to the wounded Aldrete and arrest him; rather, they re-holstered their guns, turned around and left the scene. When Aldrete then got back to Mexico without having been apprehended and identified, there was no longer any way to tie him to the load of marijuana, except through his own admissions.
Prosecutors promised Aldrete they would not use his truthful statements and testimony to prosecute him for the events that occurred on Feb. 17, 2005. Prosecutors around the country routinely make similar representations to obtain crucial testimony. This type of “use immunity” does not give blanket immunity for any crimes he may have committed or may commit in the future. If there were other admissible evidence besides his own statements sufficient to convict him, he could be prosecuted for the offense he describes.
As a practical matter, the promise to Aldrete gave up very little since the case against him was not prosecutable. There was no way to prosecute Aldrete while he was in Mexico. He could not have forced him to come back to the United States to be prosecuted, and there was no evidence against him until he agreed to cooperate.
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That's fair. I stopped believing almost everything I read is 100% truthful or accurate quite awhile back. And actually, I assume everything I read in the MSM is inaccurate until I can prove otherwise. Especially stories that reference anonymous sources speaking on condition of anonymity.
However, in this case, this Attorney published his work under his real name and referenced a specific court case, including the names of the defendants involved. It would be very easy for someone with access to the court transcripts to refute his words and publicly identify him as a liar. Therefore, it seems unlikely this Attorney would risk his reputation and probably career by publishing a bunch of easily refutable lies regarding a matter of official record.
Now...if someone can provide any valid indication that this attorney has lied...I'm all ears. But for now, I believe the facts of this case speak for themselves. And they very quickly rebut all the emotional nonsense currently dominating rants from single issue immigration fanatics. In fact, they very quickly destroy whatever fringes of credibility still hang from the anti-immigration mafia with regard to the entire immigration debate. Frankly, I don't think their self-induced destruction is really much to get upset about. They do more damage to our cause then good.
No.
They shot an unarmed man running away...back toward his own country.
It doesn't become you.
The strong indicator of my intellect is that I don't take bullying from others demanding I read a post and answer.
And yes, if YOU don't believe what is reported on the SPP then I'm sorry you shrug off facts. I'm not one for conspiracies but I believe my eyes.
So if you want to lie down and take the word of a government bureaucrat bent on keeping our borders open as is our policy then fine. I'm sure you were the first to demand the hanging of those Duke lacross players since DA Nifong said they did it! Got to believe those government employees. They never lie.
And I'd love to hear your arguments as to why Scooter Libby needs to continue being prosecuted for a crime that doesn't exist because we have a special prosecutor in Patrick Fitzgerald that says it's so.
Oh, but the prosecutor in the border case says he's right and that's enough for you. Funny how the records are sealed already.
But you're correct. I'm one of "them" who are just foolish in believing we aren't controlling our borders. I must have some disease that sees illegal aliens everywhere and everyone that tries to stop them attacked, fired, or prosecuted.
All that aside I do appreciate and thank you for your stellar service to our country. My brother was a career flyboy. And your new gig is sweet. So you don't have to live near Memphis to fly FedEx?
No, to bring that up makes me "one of them".
I can't believe some people can't see what's happening right before their eyes.
Next thing they'll tell me is thousands and thousands of illegal aliens are not pouring over the border.
The humorous thing about that statement is that you did take my "bullying" and answered the question. Hopefully that really isn't an indicator of your intellect.
"if YOU don't believe what is reported on the SPP then I'm sorry you shrug off facts."
Facts?!? List one fact.
With regard to your examples of dishonest and incompetent prosecutors...the cases you've listed have not been taken to court. The defendants involved have not been tried by a jury of their peers and found guilty. The border patrol agents in question were. Four of their fellow border patrol agents testified against them. You talk about shrugging off facts!?!? If you can identify a single thing listed in post #44 that is a lie, please identify it. You'll be famous, and will most likely end the prosecutors career. Have at it.
"I must have some disease that sees illegal aliens everywhere and everyone that tries to stop them attacked, fired, or prosecuted."
Hopefully the disease isn't terminal, because you certainly are afflicted. Ever hear of Swift & Co Meat Packing Plants?
And finally, with regard to your final comment...it is truly an honor to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Our rule of law is worth defending. And fortunately for me and my family, you can live anywhere in the country and fly for FedEx. It's just a long commute to get to work.
You must be one those idiots who can't find any fault with Bush no matter what or you personally benefit from the destruction of this nation. Either way it's people like you who are ruining this nation.
Knock it off; you're making a complete fool out of yourself.
"Neither Compean or Ramos knew he was illegal, or a drug smuggler, at the time they started blazing away at him. It could have just as easily been you or me."
No, it couldn't have.
Granted, Bush's border policy has been a failure on top of years of neglect. It may have contributed to the poor training and actions of these agents, but that's no excuse for what is now beginning to look like an attempted cover-up. The politicians who are making noise about this need to look more closely at the facts and stop being blowhards-and so should some Freepers.
Of course it's knee-jerking.
That's what people do on FR now; no matter what the topic, people go off half-cocked, believe everything written in print, and generally badmouth anything Bush or the GOP does.
I, like you, didn't know the details of this story; I have found this thread very enlightening.
In more ways that one; we've been invaded.
Anazing, and thank you.
"Cops shoot people in the back all the time who are running away, and they are never prosecuted for it"
And you think this is acceptable?
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