Sometimes you really have to live on the border to have a feel for what goes on here. I know it sounds far-fetched, and of course it’s not as simple as your sarcasm suggests- but policy from the top has been discouraging enforcement of immigration laws. Policy filters down and it is pretty well known that President Bush is for open borders. That knowledge is really all an overzealous prosecutor needs to get carried away. Add to that mix the drive that prosecutors have to win and it’s not that hard to think some shennanigans went on with this trial.
I wasn’t there when this incident happened so I have no idea what really happened- I do live on the border and will take the word of BP over smugglers any day of the week. I also know Sutton is not popular here, and I am close to El Paso as the crow fles. The El Paso radio DJs make fun of Sutton on air- regularly- and I suspect they know their audience agrees with them or they wouldn’t get away with that. FYI El Paso population is largely Hispanic with close ties to Mexico; you would think if anyone loved Sutton it would be El Paso- not the case.
I know I don't live there so how could I know, but there are more obvious reasons for that statement to be true.