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.
And naturally, everyone always stands by an oath given before God.
That's why the divorce rate in this country is so low.
</sarcasm>
Based on the list you just provided, you and your wife have absolutely no idea what the role of the President is anyway. Do you really believe Bush is responsible for States approving gay marriage, for the content of television, for cheap goods from China and for the nonexistent Universal Health care? Where do you people come from?!?!? I firmly believe that people who aren't intelligent enough to understand the basic concepts of our Constitution and the roles it dictates for each of our branches of government should not be allowed to vote. If the intelligence of your dear wife is accurately represented by what you post on FR, then I'm actually glad she's decided to withdraw from our democratic process. She will fit right in with the rest of the valueless Americans who know more about the voting process of American Idol than they do about our democratically elected government.
Thanks for your kind words.
Sodomite Marriage. It's a Constitutional issue.
Socialized Medicine. It's a taking. A Constituional issue.
Television? Seems that falls under the FCC. Which is an unconstitutional, unaccountable body but that's another matter. Anyway El Presidente has something to do with the FCC?
Chinese Imports? Another important, abdicated, surrender Constitutional issue surrendered by El Presidente.
Factory closings? See above.
What do you think El Presidente should be doing?
Apparently jailing law enforcement officers.
Marriage is not in our Constitution.
"Socialized Medicine. It's a taking. A Constituional issue."
Socialized medicine does not exist in this country and is not in our Constitution.
"Anyway El Presidente has something to do with the FCC?"
You say the FCC is unConstitutional, but then demand the President use the FCC to censor the public airwaves. What part of your television remote don't you understand? President Bush is not responsible for Americans' viewing habits.
"Another important, abdicated, surrender Constitutional issue surrendered by El Presidente."
What in the world are you talking about. Please point out where import quota and regulations exist in the Constitution.
"Factory closings? See above."
Sigh. You clearly have no idea what this country was founded on. The President is not the CEO of American industries. He is not responsible for guaranteeing their success or failure. We live in a capitalist society. You might prefer socialism. You might admire government subsidized industries like Airbus. And since you are grossly undereducated about this country, perhaps it would be very easy for you to move somewhere else. Personally, I recommend it. You've already withdrawn from our democratic process. By all means, complete the severance. This nation has more than its fair share of grossly ignorant citizens. You could do your part to raise our collective intelligence level by departing.
P.S. As a firm advocate of the sanctity and permanence of marriage, I highly encourage you to take your wife with you when you go.
"Just wait until a drunk illegal alien smashes into your automobile then runs like a rabbit; and you pay for everything and your insurance goes through the roof."
Well, I don't have to wait for this to happen. I HAVE been hit by an uninsured, unlicensed, illegal alien. He actually did wait for the cops, but they let him go with a couple of tickets, and I did have to pay for the sizeable deductible (in fact, he tried to collect from my insurance!). Fortunately, I had uninsured motorist protection.
That said, I have followed the case carefully, and I wholeheartedly agree with Pukin' on this. These BP agents screwed up big time. While I would have rather not seen them spend so much time in prison, I do not think that they should be treated differently just because they are LEOs, and just because illegal immigration is such an emotional issue.
If you disagree with the sentence, work to change the law. But you really can't start letting BP agents shoot folks who piss them off and then cover up the shooting with no consequences.
He is an alumni of Duke, IIRC.
Her car was totaled...no-fault insurance covered her loss BUT....
Her insurance went from $1500 per year to $5500 per year. She opted for a high risk pool thru MAIF (Maryland Auto Insurance Fund).
Illegal given ticket and she disappeared.
George Bush has defacto declared the Mexican Border a lawless zone. He never makes serious effort to clamp down on the border. Therefore I don't believe in punishing these Border Patrol agents if they did wrong. Anyways I believe they were justified in shooting at the drug dealer. It was a heat of the moment decision. Relatives of the drug dealer have stated that he often carried a gun
BOTTOM LINE:
I root for the home team. Not Mexican scumbags who smuggle drugs into my USA
If you disagree with the sentence, work to change the law. But you really can't start letting BP agents shoot folks who piss them off and then cover up the shooting with no consequences.
Who really gives a crap if they do now and then?
Once again...typing real S L O W L Y...so you can understand....
They didn't know he was a drug dealer during the episode.
Also, didn't realize the border agents contacted the guy's relatives on their cells to ask if he was armed....you know... "in-the-heat-of-the-moment"
/s
as well he should be. our govt went into Mexico found this shot jerk, and gave him and other criminals immunity to testify against our own border patrol.
Bush is, well, I can't say I will get banned.
There was a van in plain sight. He was strongly suspected to be a drug smuggler because the place where the incident took place was often used by Mexican drug smugglers. To bust across our border.
What would you think was going down if you had the guts to stand in shoes of these two fine Border Patrol agents?
Dubya's question: "Who will guard the guardians (the border guards)?"
Of course he asks this because he doesn't give a fig about guarding the
borders of the USA.
You would melt down and dive into the weeds if a Mexican drug smuggler looked at you cross eyed. These two fine Border Patrol men did what men with guts and pride do
GW Bush policies make the border into an anarchy... Then the Bush stooge Federal prosecutor turns around and throws the book at two Border Patrol agents who try to fight the anarchy. The anarchy of illegal immigration and low life drug smugglers jamming into America with their loaded down vans and trucks
That doesn't make it right. Don't lump in the rogue cops with the good cops.
Marriage isn't a Constitutional issue, nor is it a God-given right. Marriage is a privilege that isn't to be trampled upon.
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