Posted on 01/18/2007 2:13:50 PM PST by alienken
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVASION USA Congressmen appeal to Justice for border agents As prison sentences loom, Republican lawmakers petition attorney general
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: January 10, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez As two border patrol agents face the commencement of prison terms for shooting and wounding a man smuggling drugs into the U.S, five congressman are calling on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to intervene. The lawmakers have asked President Bush to pardon Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were sentenced to 12 years and 11 years, respectively, in October. But the sentences are scheduled to begin Jan. 17, and in lieu of a pardon, the congressmen are asking Gonzalez to request the Justice Department to direct federal prosecutors not to oppose a court motion to keep the agents free on bond during the appeals process.
The drug smuggler was granted immunity for his testimony.
Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.; Ted Poe, R-Texas; Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.; Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.; and Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.; will announce their effort at an 11 a.m. news conference today in the nation's capitol.
(Story continues below)
The lawmakers said in a statement "several discrepancies in the government's case strongly question whether justice has been served, and permitting these men to be incarcerated in the interim puts their lives at risk."
The congressman will be joined today by Compean, former Border Patrol agent Andy Ramirez of Friends of the Border Patrol and T.J. Bonner and Rich Pierce of the National Border Patrol Council.
Bush has received a letter about the case from more than 50 Congress members, and Grassfire.org has an online petition calling on the president to pardon the agents.
Rohrabacher told WND last month he considers the case "the greatest miscarriage of justice that I've seen in my career."
"Two brave Border Patrol agents trying to enforce the president's nonsensical border policy ending up being sent to prison, while an illegal alien drug smuggler is given immunity and walks free," he said.
White House press secretary Tony Snow has said he cannot comment on presidential pardons.
As WND has reported, a federal jury convicted Compean, 28, and Ramos, 37, in March after a two-week trial on charges of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a civil rights violation.
Ramos is an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year.
On Feb. 17, 2005, Ramos responded to a request for back-up from Compean, who noticed a suspicious van near the levee road along the Rio Grande River near the Texas town of Fabens, about 40 miles east of El Paso. A third agent also joined the pursuit.
Fleeing was an illegal alien, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila of Mexico. Unknown to the growing number of Border Patrol agents converging on Fabens, Aldrete-Davila's van was carrying 800 pounds of marijuana.
Aldrete-Davila stopped the van on a levee, jumped out and started running toward the river. When he reached the other side of the levee, he was met by Compean who had anticipated the smuggler's attempt to get back to Mexico.
"We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn't stop, and he just kept running," Ramos told California's Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
"At some point during the time where I'm crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired," Ramos said. "Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler."
At that point, Ramos said, Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun.
"I shot," Ramos said. "But I didn't think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn't look like he had been hit at all."
The U.S. government filed charges against Ramos and Compean after giving full immunity to Aldrete-Davila and paying for his medical treatment at an El Paso hospital.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas issued a statement in September arguing "the defendants were prosecuted because they had fired their weapons at a man who had attempted to surrender by holding his open hands in the air, at which time Agent Compean attempted to hit the man with the butt of Compean's shotgun, causing the man to run in fear of what the agents would do to him next."
The statement said, "Although both agents saw that the man was not armed, the agents fired at least 15 rounds at him while he was running away from them, hitting him once."
Ramirez of Friends of the Border Patrol said the drug smuggler has "fully contributed to the destruction of two brave agents and their families and has sent a very loud message to the other Border Patrol agents: If you confront a smuggler, this is what will happen to you."
sw
I think it is plain that George Bush will not support any efforts to guard the southern border, vigilante or otherwise.
sheesh just dream on.
I don't know that I feel "strongly". If the jury had found them not guilty, I wouldn't be writing letters about it.
I'm more of a "stop fighting the system all the time" person. I'm tired of conservatives trying to use government to try to solve their problems, and trying to use extra-legal methods to acheive their goals. It gets me in a lot of fights lately -- for example, I'm happy the administration was able to work out an arrangement to do the NSA wiretapping under existing law, even though I supported the President's findings. Because while I want to win the war on terror, I think it's better to work within the laws passed, rather than have to depend on strict constitutional powers arguments.
In this case, our judicial system tried and convicted these men, and while I can see why looking at the evidence, I wouldn't be quick to presume I had a better understanding than the people who listened to the testimony and had to make a REAL opinion that had real consequences.
I'm sorry but that reminds me of how Marion Barry got off for cocaine use when he was on film using it, because the jury decided that they couldn't be sure the stuff was actually cocaine, and not just sugar -- that even though not one witness had made the argument.
In other words, there is no testimony, and no evidence, that these guys had seen the man before, or had any idea what he was doing. In fact the testimony clearly states they did NOT know until the searched the van.
I'd say I'm more of a law-and-order guy. Can't think of what label to use for those who argue it's OK to shoot unarmed men in the back, so long as you have a badge.
What next, we going to bring infantrymen in Iraq to court and charge them with killing the terrorists they have been sent to kill? Oh, wait, the USA has and is doing that now. The USA has lost it &*^#%$**@&% MIND!!!!
fine is mind. I cannot type I am so freaking POed.
The testimony was that they assumed he was an illegal. They didn't even know who he was until after he came forward. They just "knew" he was running back over the border.
I will point out that the man had once been a LEGAL RESIDENT of the United States, but he was no longer legal at the time of the incident.
And the issue isn't whether he was illegal, it is that they had no idea he was a drug smuggler. Unless you think it's OK to shoot unarmed illegal aliens who are trying to LEAVE the country (which is where he was heading when they shot him -- NOT breaking INTO the country).
Well, there's a message from the anti-illegal-closed-borders crowd: Please leave the country now, and if we see you leaving we'll shoot you in the back.....
BTW, I'm not an open borders person. I don't support amnesty for illegals. I want a guest worker program that prohibits participants from becoming citizens. I want illegals currently in the country to have to go through the line like everybody else, and NOT to get in the front of that line, but in the back.
However, I do diverge from the rabid anti-immigrant crowd in that I want to increase the legal numbers of immigrants, I DO support guest workers, I support ALLOWING illegal immigrants the right to GET INTO THE LINE, and in fact to use their time in the United States as a factor in judging their ability to assimilate.
And, worst of all, I support an expedited "preliminary review" so that those illegals who have settled in this country and show they are productive members of our society, if it seems clear they WILL be acceptable as legal immigrants when they make it to the front of the line, to allow them to stay in the country while they are waiting, rather than booting them out of the country. I can't figure out how to make it work though yet.
To me this has nothing to do with that issue though -- this is simply an issue of whether we, as conservatives, are going to accept the workings of our criminal justice system, and stand for the rule of law for all citizens, including police -- or if we instead are going to be like democrats, looking for our government to bestow special extra-legal measures whenever it suits our fancy.
Impeach a president because he won't pardon two lawbreakers found guilty by a jury of their peers for shooting an unarmed man in the back? Sorry, there's nothing conservative about that -- rather its a radical position.
Thanks for the remarks.
Any differences we may or may not have regarding the adjudication of this case may be mute in due time and is receiving further scrutiny.
Since this thread was posted, others have been posted that indicate an acknowledgment at the highest levels of the government that this one may not just go away readily or easily.
In this case, the system may well be working as designed, albeit in a convoluted in some folks view, but working nonetheless.
.. may be mute in due time as it receives further scrutiny.
There were RUMORS that he did it again, but the official statement says that is false.
I wouldn't have said that, but telling you you shouldn't be allowed to vote is a statement of opinion that you can refute.
What poisons the discussion is telling people they shouldn't be allowed to participate in the discussion. That's about the only thing I'll complain about regarding "metadiscussion". You can call me names (I've been called several) and I won't complain if it isn't obscene, but don't tell me I can't participate in the discussion.
I'm on the side of law. Would I be happier if the person they had shot had turned out to be the loving father of a wife and 10 kids who was just returning from his illegal day job scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets? Well, I suppose it would make it clearer to people why you don't just shoot people who are running away, but I'm happy that the person who was shot turned out to be the kind of person we wouldn't "mind" being shot, if someone has to be shot.
I oppose the use of any drugs, but I don't believe there are a lot of people overdosing on marijuana. I'm not justifying pot smuggling, just saying that it isn't like heroin.
I fail to see how the politics of the person in the oval office has ANYTHING to do with a jury of 12 peers finding beyond a reasonable doubt that two border agents committed multiple felonies.
I'm certainly not in this to defend George Bush.
It's anarchy and chaos on the Mexican border. This is exactly the way George Bush, big business and country club Republicans like it. Dittos for the multiculturalists and Hispanic ethnic pressure groups. Now if in the midst of such intentional lawlessness and chaos a low life scumbag illegal alien drug smuggler is shot I'm not going to lose any sleep. Not even if he was shot and killed.
Aside from that I take the word and testimony of the two Border Patrol agents over the word of the Mexican drug smuggler. I root for the home team. Not the Mexican drug smuggler team who are all rejoicing today as the stupid gringos throw these two Border Patrolmen in prison. Mexicans know how ridiculous this is even if you don't. You promote even worse anarchy on the border by imprisoning these two men, who shot a drug smuggler in the butt. The whole affair stinks. I hope you are aware this scum bucket was caught with another load of marijuana and was set free, not prosecuted because it would ruin the Feds case against the BP agents
The chaos on the border is intentional. Lawlessness is encouraged and by that I mean the lawless busting across our border by Mexicans and others.
What a logical man has to ask himself is, why are these two Border Patrol agents being reamed out while illegal aliens are given a free pass at the Mexican border to invade this sovereign nation?
The hacks in DC are even trying to renege on building a 700 mile fence on the Mexican border. And all the while two BP agents are prosecuted and thrown in prison. A man has to be stupid not to see what's going on. That some laws are ignored and some are enforced
Jury of 12 Peers? The trial was in El Paso (border town) where the border patrol agents are considered public enemy #1. No way they got a fair trial. I think in a chaotic area like the border there can be confusion. The BPAs heard shots fired which is very common. It really is like a war zone.The politics of Pres. does have something to do with this. He let it get this bad.
Try this then. Take a dog and put it in your yard close to the road on a short run. Give it just enough run to where it can not quite reach the fence. Invite all the neighborhood kids to walk by and throw rocks at it and harass it. Do this day after day for several years. Whip dog when it one day snaps the leash and attacks those tossing rocks at it. Reward ones throwing rocks and harassing dog with yet more money. Beat dog again saying Bad Dog! Scratch head like an idiot wondering what created the problem to start with. This is our national leadership.
Bush has done nothing almost nothing but very token jestures to address the border issue. His promises of coming amnesity have created a situation where our border is being flooed by illegals. Many are also felons from other C.A. nations who will just as soon kill you as to look at you. I wish GW Bush was a BP agent for one month. I wish his livelyhood depended on money from a border ranch and maybe he would open his NWO Globalist liberal eyes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.