Very well, allow me to expand. He was shot in the @ss in February, had his injuries repaired at taxpayer expense a month later and was caught smuggling dope again within seven months. We don't know how many loads he brought across before he was caught. How serious could he have been hurt?
Since you indicate that you have no idea about his injuries, but are simply assuming that they couldn’t be that bad, I’ll educate you a bit. Here are some random quotes from various stories, mostly from WND, or from reports about the testimony from the trial:
“The records indicate bullet fragments were found in Aldrete-Davila’s pelvis but not removed. The path of the bullet is clearly described as entering in the left side of the left buttocks, traversing the groin area, and lodging in the right thigh. “
“The records also indicate reconstructive surgery was performed on Aldrete-Davila the same day at the army hospital. Damage to the urethra required a catheter to be inserted. Aldrete-Davila was placed under anesthetics for the operation and was heavily sedated for pain. “
“187-188 – Aldrete-Davila was at Beaumont AMC to evaluate the genitourinary system and to retrieve a bullet lodged in his right thigh. Aldrete-Davila had already received medical treatment in Juarez, or in Mexico, where they had inserted a suprapubic catheter to drain urine through the abdominal wall. They did not use a traditional Foley catheter, a drainage tube inserted in the penis, in males, and then into the urethra and the bladder. Miller normally would try to insert a Foley catheter following this type of wound, but he doesn’t know what was done in Mexico.”
“194-195 – Miller identified GOV EXH 93 as images from an x-ray film. The first image was of the contrast in Aldrete-Davila’s bladder. The second image showed the contrast injected in the urethra via a retrograde urethragram. No contrast filled the bladder in this test. In the third image, contrast was put in through the suprapubic tube and filled the bladder. Miller used the tube inserted in Mexico.
196 – The x-rays show there is no communication between the urethra and the bladder neck.
196-198 – Miller identified GOV EXH 94 as showing the same x-ray film images as in GOV EXH 93, but this time they had injected more contrast (dye) to better outline the miscommunication between the urethra and the bladder neck. There are foreign bodies on the x-rays that appear to be bullet fragments, and the miscommunication is in the same area as the potential bullet fragments. The images show the fragments from several angles. The images show 4 potential bullet fragments in that location.
198-199 – In order to urinate, you have to be connected from the bladder to the urethra and penis but Aldrete-Davila had a “disconnection” because it was no longer intact. The patient can’t urinate and has back pressure from the kidneys because the bladder can’t empty. That obstruction could cause renal failure and is a life-threatening problem. There is also a possibility of infection and, rarely, of bladder rupture.
“203-204 – Miller indicated he can’t tell what damage the bullet fragments caused and whether Aldrete-Davila will be able to regain sphincter control after reconstruction surgery. It normally takes 1-2 months after surgery to know for sure, but there is a high likelihood that Aldrete-Davila will have problems with incontinence (lack of control of urination).
204-205 – There are other procedures that can be done if Aldrete-Davila is incontinent. These procedures include implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter. These must be replaced every 8-10 years, so a 24-year-old person can expect several surgeries.
205-206 – Miller cannot do the reconstruction surgery. It will require a few surgeons who are trained in reconstruction surgery. Miller referred Aldrete-Davila to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, the University of San Francisco, and Duke University – but the person that does this is no longer there
In summary, the shooting left Davila unable to pee. He needed a catheter to drain, and surgery to fix the life-threatening problem. This was a serious operation requiring medical experts, and he now uses a bladder bag. He would require more surgery to attempt to regaing bladder control, and may never do so, and also requires reconstructive surgery that involves another specialist.
So it is clear from the testimony of the actual DOCTORS involved (who apparently know more about the injuries than you do), that his medical treatment is both serious and expensive.
I hope this will serve to disabuse you of the notion that his injuries were minor or inexpensive.
I’m not asking you to feel sorry for the guy — he’s a drug smuggler. I’m not saying the extent of his injury has anything to do with the prosecution, or the convictions. There’s no real evidence of that.
I only brought up the injuries as it regards the medical expenses, something we regularly cover when the injuries are inflicted by law enforcement, whether the infliction was deemed legal or illegal (in this case, it was found illegal).