Posted on 08/22/2006 9:46:49 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to fully review the case of two Border Patrol agents facing 20 years in prison for violating a drug smuggler's civil rights. Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., went even further, sending a letter to President Bush asking him to personally review the case.
Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos broke his 18-month silence on his altercation with the drug smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Bulletin. His co-worker, Jose Alonso Compean, has been asked by his attorney to not speak to the media while his sentencing hearing is pending.
Last week, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called for a congressional investigation and open hearing on the Ramos/Compean case during an immigration field hearing in El Paso. The congressional investigation is expected to begin before the end of the year.
On Friday, Feinstein, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on panel chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., to hold a committee hearing on the case.
"It appears that the facts do not add up or justify the length of the sentences for these agents, let alone their conviction on multiple counts," Feinstein said. "Border agents often have a difficult and dangerous job in guarding our nation's borders. Undue prosecution of Border Patrol Agents could have a chilling effect on their ability to carry out their duties."
Feinstein also sent a letter dated Aug. 15 to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, asking that he personally review the case.
Jones, one of many congressional leaders concerned about the agents' convictions, said Ramos and Compean should be commended for trying to apprehend Aldrete-Davila, and that their prosecution and conviction was unjust.
"The Justice Department's outrageous prosecution does nothing but tie the hands of our Border Patrol and prevent them from securing America against a flood of illegal immigrants, drugs, counterfeit goods and, quite possibly, terrorists," Jones said in his letter to the president.
"This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing immigration laws. These two agents should not be made scapegoats for our government's enforcement failures."
By Monday, grassfire.org, a conservative group, had collected nearly 100,000 signatures for a petition that will be sent to the president to review the case. The National Border Patrol Council, the union representing agents nationwide, and the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol are collecting money for the families.
Ramos, 37, and Compean, 30, are set to be sentenced next month for shooting Aldrete-Davila, a Mexican citizen, on Feb. 17, 2005, in the small town of Fabens, Texas, about 40 miles southeast of El Paso.
Ramos said Aldrete-Davila pointed what he believed to be a gun at him. Ramos fired one shot. He did not know the single shot had hit Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks because the smuggler kept running and disappeared into the brush along the Rio Grande.
Aldrete-Davila was later seen by agents at the scene getting into a van on the Mexican side of the border. He left behind a van filled with nearly 800 pounds of marijuana, worth more than $1 million. The U.S. Attorney's Office gave Aldrete-Davila immunity and free medical care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center for his testimony against the agents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Kanof, who successfully prosecuted the case and spoke with the Daily Bulletin three weeks ago, said that the agents had no right to pursue Aldrete-Davila and that they violated Border Patrol policy.
An El Paso jury convicted both agents of assault with serious bodily injury; assault with a deadly weapon; discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; and a civil rights violation. Compean and Ramos also were convicted of four counts and two counts, respectively, of obstruction of justice for not reporting that their weapons had been fired.
On July 25, the El Paso U.S. Probation Office recommended to Judge Kathleen Cardone that each man serve 20 years in federal prison.
Ramos and his family say they have been overwhelmed by the sympathy and support from the public since their story was published. Ramos said he hopes his situation sheds light on the dangerous situations border agents face.
"This is becoming so much more than my case," Ramos said Monday. "It's shedding light on the Border Patrol and the agents who are still out there facing these hardships. We're completely restricted and handcuffed by our own agency. ... We're not just supposed to be on the border as ornaments."
Old Scratch must be ordering winter woollens. I agree with Feinstein on something. I can't believe it.
"The Justice Department's outrageous prosecution does nothing but tie the hands of our Border Patrol and prevent them from securing America against a flood of illegal immigrants, drugs, counterfeit goods and, quite possibly, terrorists," Jones said in his letter to the president.
"This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing immigration laws. These two agents should not be made scapegoats for our government's enforcement failures."
( No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo!)
Sounds like they could be good candidates for preemptive Presidential pardons.
Since WHEN does the U.S. Department of Justice get to grant Civil Rights to citizens of foreign nations here illegally? The drug smuggler should have no civil rights under U.S. law.
The U.S. Attorney's Office gave Aldrete-Davila immunity and free medical care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center for his testimony against the agents.
And our veterans must wait. Help is on the way?
( No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo!)
Dang straight.
"Old Scratch must be ordering winter woollens. I agree with Feinstein on something. I can't believe it."
She must be up to something. I can't believe she gives a tinker's damn about the agants.
I suspect you are right.
"Sounds like they could be good candidates for preemptive Presidential pardons."
It's the President's protege, Johnny Sutton, that was responsible for railroading the BP agents. Believe me, if Bush or Gonzales wanted to stop this, they could have done so. This is a high profile case. I am sure Bush has known about it for a long time.
What's the sense of fighting a war half way around the globe to protect the country when we're willing to surrender on the home front.
Since Bridges v. Wixon.
They feel these border patrol agents are infringing on the unification of North America.
I like Bush, but was VERY upset at the news of the Waco conference moving to merge Mexico, Canada & the US.
The news of the agreement; however, explains a great deal about our Mexico border policy.
The only time President Bush has deceived us about border security immigration is when his lips were moving.
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