Posted on 11/17/2007 3:48:00 PM PST by T.L.Sink
Rep. Tom Tancredo today nenewed his call for the release of Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean amid recent reports that the star witness, illegal alien Oswaldo Davila, was arrested for the third time attempting to smuggle drugs across the U.S.-Mexican border. Tancredo seeks Congressional approval of a legislative provision that would free the two imprisoned agents by preventing the expenditure of any federal funds to carry out the sentences imposed on the two men, effectively freeing them from federal custody. Osvaldo Davila, an illegal alien who has been three times apprehended attempting to smuggle drugs into the United States, was the star witness that U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton showcased in his successful bid to wrongly incarcerate Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean. Davila was given immunity, free healthcare, and border crossing cards in return for his testimony.
(Excerpt) Read more at tancredo.house.gov ...
Woo-hoo!!
Now let’s get Duncan Hunter out there as well, also demanding they be released.
Hunter was on O’Reilly last night demanding it. He even hand delivered a letter to the white house yesterday.
I so very wish he’d be the GOP candidate.
He’s perfect!
Wow. He’d eat Hillary for lunch.
man, if the release of those 2 guys wouldn’t be compassionate conservatism i don’t know what would be ......time to turn em loose....and now!
It doesn't matter who's in bed with whom ... bring Sutton down and dominos will fall.
Outstanding.
Blistering criticism by Congressman Hunter of the prosecutor Sutton: he chose “not to burden” jurors with the almost unbelievable criminal history of the star witness.
And it turns out, a number of jurors have flat-out said they never would have convicted, had they known!!
It’s such a travesty! Bush is handling this SCANDALOUSLY, and I’ll dare say his bungling on this, and on amnesty has ruined his brother’s chances of ever winning the GOP nomination.
Excellent video - thanks!
Anyone think it mere coincidence that the scumbag drug dealer was indicted two weeks before the Ramos/Compean appeal hearing?
Johnny Satan has had almost three years to indict this crim. We’re supposed to believe that he lacked sufficient evidence until this week?
I suspect Johnny is trying to make himself look less bad before the court.
He has!! In fact he hasn’t stopped. Yo just aren’t seeing the articles about it. Nor did you see Laura Inghram hosting OReilly factor last night, where he stated he had “hand delivered a letter to the President” demanding a pardon. Hunter has been on top of this from day one.
If George Bush and Felipe Calderón think that Mexico’s “image” can by polished by freeing a sleezy drug smuggler and falsely condemning two Border Patrol agents who were trying to do their lawful duty by arresting him, they are nuts.
Loco.
This affair has put a serious tarnish on both presidents.
You can see by the date Hunter has been on this before
the me toos
February 21, 2007
PARDON THE BORDER PATROLMEN
BY CONGRESSMAN DUNCAN HUNTER
Enforcing Americas borders is an inherently dangerous responsibility that is critical to the security of our country and the safety of our communities. Despite the fact that many illegal immigrants come here with no criminal intent, others who cross our borders are dangerous criminals smuggling humans, drugs and other illegal contraband. Facing them, the men and women of our nations Border Patrol risk their lives daily.
In return for accepting this responsibility and performing their duties as law enforcement officials, Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos are now serving 11 and 12 years in federal prison. This is a severe injustice that we must act to remedy quickly because the lives of these men are in danger, as illustrated by the recent assault against agent Ramos by criminal inmates.
The U.S. government prosecuted agents Compean and Ramos for wounding a drug smuggler on the U.S.-Mexico border. Interestingly, the testimony that ultimately led to their conviction was provided by the wounded drug smuggler himself, who was brought back from Mexico, granted immunity and provided free medical treatment for his cooperation.
The conviction of Ramos and Compean represents a compelling case for a presidential pardon for one reason: prison sentences of 11 and 12 years are not justified by any version of the facts. The drug smuggler contends that, upon being stopped with his 700 pound cargo of marijuana, he was escaping to Mexico and presented no threat to the agents. Thus, the nine millimeter slug in his rear-end represents an unjustified assault. The agents claimed they had a reasonable apprehension and that he was armed, thereby justifying the wounding.
The point is this: the U.S. government has given a punishment to Ramos and Compean that exceeds the average penalty for murder. By all accounts, the drug smuggler was alive and kicking the next day, not even stopping to collect workers compensation before his next attempted delivery of illegal drugs.
Imprisoning Compean and Ramos for their efforts to enforce our nations illegal immigration laws is troubling. But giving them the equivalent of murder sentences, for wounding a fleeing drug smuggler, constitutes a severe injustice that a presidential pardon can correct.
After a failed request by Congress to keep Compean and Ramos free on bail pending their appeal, the two former lawmen surrendered themselves to federal custody on January 17, 2007. That very same day, I contacted the Bureau of Prisons and personally requested they be segregated from the general prison population to ensure their personal safety. Given that 27% of federal inmates are non-U.S. citizens, the threat to agents Compean and Ramos was both real and imminent.
Despite assurances from Bureau of Prisons staff that significant attention was being paid to their personal safety, agent Ramos was later assaulted by inmates while assimilating with the general prison population. As he was being punched and kicked, agent Ramos could hear his attackers repeating la migra, a term to describe U.S. government officials that enforce immigration laws.
The apparent disregard for Ramos personal safety demonstrates complete ineptitude on the part of the Prisons Bureau and further underscores the growing list of problems associated with the prosecution of these agents, the way they have been treated and the constant threat they now face as federal inmates.
Members of Congress have directly called on President Bush to pardon Compean and Ramos. So far, he has declined. As the President reconsiders his refusal to issue a pardon as he openly stated he would, I have introduced H.R. 563, the Congressional Pardon for Agents Compean and Ramos Act. This legislation, which has been cosponsored by 85 of my House colleagues, initiates a pardon for Compean and Ramos through the legislative process.
Our nations law enforcement officials are not above the laws they are empowered to enforce. But they must also be assured that the necessary and appropriate use of force will not result in the equivalent of a murder sentence.
Pardoning agents Compean and Ramos will correct a terrible injustice and restore the confidence our Border Patrol must have in the people and the government they work tirelessly to protect. Equally important, it will demonstrate to the American people that we are serious about enforcing our nations immigration laws.
This is an official Web site of the United States House of Representatives
I like it.
He has.
I stand corrected, thanks.
Did you see the video? (post 5)
It is abuse pure and simple. Those men should be released from prison immediately. And Sutton put into prison. He took 2 mens’ lives and crushed them.
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.