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.
"The way this forum has decided to attack the President is a disgrace. He is the one honorable man out there, trying to do the right thing."
Bush is a huge disgrace when it comes to border security. Bush doesn't even seem to think illegal immigration is a problem. I'm not going to support a man who is so irresponsible when comes to the most serious problem facing this nation.
Anyone who supports Bush on immigration is as worthless as him. Many of you either can't find any fault with Bush no matter what or you personally benefit from the destruction of this nation through illegal immigration. I agree with Bush on several issues but he's just a worthless loser when it comes to the most dangerous issue facing this nation.
The trial is over and they were convicted, I take the law and order side on this.
Feel free to post their defense, frankly I would like to see their testimony.
Duh.
Hey, he's just trying. to feed his family
You can't expect to have logical discussions with people who think it is perfectly OK for law enforcement officers to act like Uncle Fester.
Read again, I asked if the govenment was above the law, I didn't advocate breaking the law, and a pardon for these two agents would be within the law.
Most every FReeper is for following the law, that's what's so maddening.
While Bush and the federal government have ignored and continue to actively ignore the laws regarding illegals and enforcing the borders, they used every power of government to persecute these two agents who were trying to enforce the laws.
HOLD IT FOLKS.... these two fellas were doing their job...
Got that right,,,The Agent fired after the scumbag shot at him.And the Agent lit the dude up enough that he landed in Mexico..He should have killed the scum (who might have been bringing reefer to your kids)and got it over with...And that ain't no Opinion.
If this was over lets say two cops in anytown USA and they shot like this I would say hang E'm. But that wasn't Anytown USA and those BP's are in an undeclared war zone of which our leaders in Washington DC have turned a blind eye to. It is the Mexican Smugglers against the US BP it is the Mexican Army as well as Mexican Police against our BP. Then besides that they face the often armed illegals with nothing to loose. Night after night day after day while our POTUS kisses up to the Mexican government BACKING the ones shooting at our BP's for his beloved new trade union.
What is worse the government thinks that their bad cutting a deal by pardoning a felon with 700 pounds of pot is a far less serious a crime as being shot in the butt? This man has had how many arrest by BP? The USAG's ofice is ready to give him sainthood.
How many BP's have been shot at and killed by Mexicans and what has been Mexico's response? What has been the Whitehouses demands? It's a war zone down there. Maybe not one declared by congress but these guys stand a far better chance of not coming home than most cops in the nation. Fire them? OK. But this is a move to bring down the morale of the BP as a whole. Make them second guess all moves. Be much more reluctant to be as aggressive as they need to be to do the job. I will no more second guess them under their circumstances than a U.S. service members actions in Iraq.
But the real giveaway our BP's were sold out? here it is. Unarmed National Guards on the border that the BP as well must protect. Thank you for absolutely nothing GW Bush. Bush has helped create the very conditions that place our BP's lives in danger to start with. In light of his gross mis-management concerning our borders yes he owes them a pardon and the rest of the BP and the NG's he sent there unarmed an apology as well.
"Cops shoot people in the back all the time who are running away, and they are never prosecuted for it."
You don't know what you are talking about.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
It's become a political issue on Bush's watch, who else would we ask to fix it? As Bush continues to refuse to enforce the law and borders he deserves strong criticism.
I also blame Bush's lack of a winning plan on illegal immigration for the defeat of the Republican Congress.
Two years ago even Senator Frist was saying secure the borders first. If, at that time Bush had worked with fellow Republicans and truly secured the border, he could have come back to a Republican congress a year or two later and asked for a guest worker plan, they would have gladly passed that.
Then Bush could have sailed into the past elections with his fellow Republicans happy with a secure border and Hispanics happy with a guest worker plan, a win-win deal.
But no, Bush went with the lose-lose plan, where he angered his base voters and angered the Hispanics, who then went 70%~76% for Democrats. Fellow Republicans paid the price for his short sightedness.
Me, too. Wish someone had cloned him.
When these men were tried, the only evidence allowed in, pertained to their guilt or innocence.
Stripping everything else out, they are guilty. There are no mitigating circumstances, they are guilty. Any other argument is just like what the Libs do. Was Clinton guilty? They said it was just about sex, remember? Is Sandy Burger guilty? Libs said he just used 'poor judgment', remember? The Rich pardon in exchange for money for Clinton's library? When does it end? If we start excusing people based on mitigating circumstances, we are no better than our enemies on the left.
BECAUSE THE PUNISHMENT ALL THINGS CONSIDERED DOES NOT FIT THE CRIME. THEY LET A MAJOR DOPE SMUGLER GO SCOTT FREE OVER A SHOT IN THE SEATER.
*snicker*
LOL, that explains it all then.
Can you point to the exidence that says that occured...other than the testimony of two cops?
And...we all know people have been known to lie when they fannies are on the line. Gee...cops never lie.
So...where is the OTHER evidence? They didn't take cover...they didn't arrest him...they just left.
That doesn't sound like the actions of people who just got fired upon....sound like the actions of someone who was firing at an illegal...scaring them back to Mexico and then leaving the sceen.
Personally, my preference would be using them for sniper practice....but that's politically incorrect to the nth.
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