|
February 2009
Ramos, Compean freed from prison
Congressman calls for probe of prosecutor, role of Mexico
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
2-17-09
-- Convicted former Border
Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were released from
federal prison this morning and are en route to join their families
in El Paso, Texas. . . . Characterizing
Ramos and Compean's incarceration as a "political prosecution," Rep.
Ted Poe, R-Texas, called for a congressional investigation into
alleged prosecutorial misconduct by El Paso U.S. Attorney Johnny
Sutton under the direction of Bush administration Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales. . . . Poe also called for an investigation into
the alleged role of the Mexican government in demanding that Ramos
and Compean be prosecuted. . . . "As soon as President Bush commuted
Ramos and Compean's sentences, the Mexican government registered a
large protest," Poe noted. . . . "In their protest, the Mexican
government admitted their involvement in the case without specifying
what their involvement was," he added. . . . "So I think the first
order of business is for the U.S. Congress to investigate what role
the Mexican government had in demanding the Bush administration
prosecute this case," he insisted. "Mexico should not be meddling
into U.S. criminal cases."
Border agents could leave prison within days
Possibility Ramos and Compean may be eligible to finish sentences at
home
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
2-3-09 --
Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos could be
eligible to leave federal prison within days – though their official
release date is still set for March 20, a spokeswoman for the
Federal Bureau of Prisons has confirmed. . . . BOP spokeswoman Traci
Billingsley told WND that inmates may serve their sentences in
arranged living facilities or home confinement before they are given
their full freedom. . . . "On their release date, all Bureau of
Prisons inmates are generally released from one of three places,"
she said. "They're either released from an institution, a
residential reentry center (halfway house) or they're released from
home confinement."
January 2009
Border agent excited about homecoming
'He wanted me to tell everybody,
'Thank you''
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
|
Imprisoned agent Jose Compean |
1-22-09
-- Imprisoned Border Patrol
agent Jose Compean is so excited about former President George
Bush's decision to commute his sentence that he began "talking
nonstop," his wife told WND. . . . "I just spoke to him a little
while ago, and he's very excited," Patty Compean said. "He's just
gushing with ideas about what he wants to do. I had Monica, and my
family and you guys and supporters to talk to. But he really doesn't
have anybody but the guards." . . . Compean asked Patty to relay a
message. . . . "He wanted me to tell everybody 'Thank you,'" she
said. . . . Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos were convicted and
imprisoned for an encounter with now-convicted drug smuggler Osvaldo
Aldrete-Davila. He had dropped one-third of a ton of drugs in the
United States and was fleeing back into Mexico when the officers
shot at him and wounded him.
Ramos And Compean Are Going Home
By Chuck Baldwin, NewsWithViews.com
1-20-09
--
After tens of thousands of phone calls and emails, after the
combined efforts of columnists such as myself and radio and
television talk show hosts such as Lou Dobbs, and even after
persistent appeals by congressmen such as Dana Rohrabacher, former
Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean finally received
a commutation of their 10-plus year prison sentences from outgoing
President George W. Bush and will soon be going home. It's about
time! What took Mr. Bush so long? . . . Ramos and Compean were
victimized by an out-of-control U.S. Attorney by the name of Johnny
Sutton (who should be fired for his despicable conduct), and by a
White House that cared more about appeasing the Mexican government
than it did about protecting the American border and the Border
Patrol agents who were trying to do their jobs. . . . I won't rehash
the details of this unbelievable miscarriage of justice, as I have
already covered this atrocity in past columns. See two of these
columns
here and
here. . . . I was also
privileged to appear with Agent Ramos' wife, Monica, on the Lou
Dobbs show last year. As such, I was the only Presidential candidate
in 2008 who publicly promised to fully pardon (not just grant
commutation to) Ramos and Compean. See the video
here. . . . According to
press reports, now that President Bush has commuted the sentences of
Ramos and Compean, they should be released from prison "within the
next two months." In issuing the commutation, it was made clear that
"Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to
commute their prison sentences because he believed they were
excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs,
freedom and reputations." . . . The senior administration official
quoted also said, "The action by the president, who believes the
border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just,
does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes." . . . Ramos and
Compean have served about two years of their sentences. . . . And,
as far as what the Bush administration official said, let's set the
record straight. First of all, while Ramos and Compean have lost
their jobs and more than two years of freedom (not to mention untold
grief and agony by their family members), they have not lost their
reputations. If anyone has lost their reputation, it is Johnny
Sutton and George W. Bush, his act of clemency notwithstanding.
'Thank you, President Bush'
Agents' wives express gratitude, but say 'it's not over'
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-19-09
--
The wives of jailed former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and
Jose Compean say they are thankful that President Bush commuted
their husbands' prison sentences so they can begin to rebuild their
families' lives, but they also say there still are questions to be
answered. . . .
"This isn't over," Monica Ramos said on Fox News' Glenn Beck
television show today in the first interview following the
announcement about the commutation.
. . . She cited a petition pending
before the U.S. Supreme Court in her husband's case, and said that
now could be the focus of the family's work. ****** Patty Compean
said she learned from reporters about the commutation. She told Beck
that the reporter told her that her husband would be coming coming.
"She said a bunch of other stuff, (but I didn't hear)," she said. .
. . Then she went to find Monica Ramos. . . . "I turned the corner
and I could hear screaming," she said. . . . Monica Ramos said she
would be awaiting the response from the Supreme Court in her quest
to clear her husband, who under a commutation still would carry the
felony conviction, although he would be released from prison.
Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents
President Bush commutes the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Alonso Compean, convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in
2005.
FOXNews.com
1-19-09
-- On his last full day in
office, President Bush commuted the controversial sentences of two
former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug
runner in 2005. . . . The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the men were
just doing their jobs and were punished too harshly. They had been
sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively. . . . Their
sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year. . . . Ramos and
Compean were sentenced in connection with the shooting of Osvaldo
Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while trying to flee
along the Texas border. He admitted smuggling several hundred pounds
of marijuana on the day he was shot and pleaded guilty last year to
drug charges related to two other smuggling attempts. . . . Nearly
the entire congressional delegation from Texas and other lawmakers
from both sides of the political aisle pleaded with Bush to grant
them clemency. . . . The border agents argued during their trials
that they believed Davila was armed and that they shot him in self
defense. The prosecutor in the case said there was no evidence
linking the smuggler to the van that contained the marijuana. The
prosecutor also said the border agents didn't report the shooting
and tampered with evidence by picking up several spent shell
casings.
DOJ considering commutation for Ramos, Compean
Attorney who makes recommendations to Bush has opened file on border
agents
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-16-09
--
The U.S. Department of Justice has been opened a file on imprisoned
U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean and a
commutation of their sentences is under review, the
office of agency pardon attorney Ronald L. Rodgers
confirmed to WND. . . . Rodgers spoke directly about the case by
telephone with Stephen J. Eichler, J.D., executive director of Jim
Gilchrist's
Minuteman Project Inc.. . .
. Eichler initially called the DOJ pardon attorney's office to
discuss the prospect of a presidential pardon for Ramos and Compean.
The men remain confined to solitary confinement in federal prison
serving 11- and 12- years respectively for a 2005 incident in which
they fired on a drug smuggler as he fled back into Mexico after
bringing 750 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. near Fabens, Texas. .
. . "After speaking with a
U.S. pardon attorney staff coordinator about the serious nature of this
matter, my call was immediately put through to Mr. Rodgers himself,"
Eichler told WND in an e-mail. . . . "We had a very frank and open
discussion regarding the plight of the two Border Patrol agents,"
Eichler said. "During the conversation, Rodgers mentioned that
agents Ramos and Compean may be eligible for commutations of their
sentences, though they are not now being considered for pardons." .
. . Eichler said Rodgers "was very informative and courteous." . . .
"We got right to the point," he said. "The truth of the matter is a
commutation is a very strong position for Ramos and Compean to be
in."
10 congressmen urge clemency for agents
'Time is short, Mr. President. Let's right the wrong'
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-14-09
-- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.,
today called on U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton to support a commutation
in sentence for imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and
Jose Compean. . . . "Mr. Sutton, we are asking you to look into your
heart as a prosecutor and advise the president to commute the
sentences of Ramos and Compean so they will not spend the next 10
years in solitary confinement," Rohrabacher said. . . . "As Johnny
Sutton said in his own words, this punishment is excessive," he
continued. . . . "Millions of Americans, members of Congress,
Republicans and Democrats have spoken. The time is short, Mr.
Sutton. Time is short, Mr. President. Let's right the wrong."
Mr. Bush, Please Pardon Border Patrol Agents
By Roy Beck
1-14-09
--
NumbersUSA's members have been divided about the appropriateness of
the actions of Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean,
who have now been in prison for two years. But I believe that almost
nobody believes they should spend another day in prison. In the name
of fairness, proportionality and morale for our beleaguered
defenders on the borders, Pres. Bush needs to release these border
agents to their families. Please
contact the White House today
before Pres. Bush leaves. . . . I am not going to rehearse the
voluminous details of this case here. You can
read more elsewhere. . . .
But now that Ramos and Compean have spent two years in prison, there
is no longer any need to discuss whether they did anything wrong.
The question is whether what they did can possibly justify more than
two years in prison. I say no way, Jose and no way, Ignacio. . . .
Without a pardon, Ramos has another 9 years in prison -- Compean
another 10 years. . . . Please
send a free fax to Pres.
Bush and urge a pardon.
'Attempted hit' put on Ramos family
'Thank God no one turned on a light! Monica and her 3 boys would be
gone!'
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-14-09
--
The family of imprisoned Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos was the
victim of an attempted hit on their lives this month, as the agent's
wife says someone broke into their El Paso home and filled it with
gas, trashing photographs and pummeling their dog. . . . Just weeks
after
Monica Ramos spoke with WND about the difficulty of enduring
Christmas without her husband,
her family returned from visiting Ignacio in prison on Jan 3. While
she was away, burglars stole DVDS, a BB gun and cell phone and
slashed her couch with a knife. . . . They even beat her dog and
ripped cherished wedding pictures and family photos of their life
with Ignacio off the walls, smashing them on the ground. . . . But
the vandalism wasn't the worst part, Monica revealed in a Jan. 12
BlogTalkRadio interview just
before she left again to visit her husband. . . . "It wasn't so much
that stuff was burglarized or that they actually took much," she
said. "What was really hard was that when we got here, the gas was
turned on. It was very intentional in that somebody was trying to
hurt us." . . . Her son opened the front door and discovered the
strong odor. . . . "Right away he alerted me," she said. "He started
yelling, 'Mom, don't walk in. Don't bring my brothers.' He said,
'The gas is on!' He ran in and started turning everything off." . .
. Her father, Joe Loya, wrote on his blog, "Thank God no one turned
on a light! Monica and her three boys would be gone!" . . .
Monica said she believes the gas was left on for two days.
Big name senators plead for agents' freedom
Urge Bush to 'right the wrongs against Ramos and Compean'
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-13-09
-- -- With only one week left
until Inauguration Day, lawmakers are urging President George Bush
to pardon imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Compean. . . . Today, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, released an open
letter to the president pleading for their freedom. . . . "Because
of the excesses of the prosecution against them, they will continue
to sit alone in those cells for another decade," Cornyn wrote. "That
is unless President Bush commutes their unjust sentences. In his
remaining days as President, I ask President Bush to show mercy and
use his clemency power to give back Agents Ramos and Compean the
next 10 years of their lives." . . . Cornyn and Sen. Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif., have written two letters to President Bush
urging him to commute the men's sentences. Cornyn has also spoken
publicly in support of the agents.
Bush on border agents: 'I'm not talking pardons'
Laments failure of immigration reform, gives agency executive
$60,000 bonus
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-12-09
-- -- President Bush has
extensively discussed his immigration reform policy in exit
interviews and given a $60,000 bonus to a Border Patrol chief who
has been criticized for not supporting Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Compean – but he refuses to talk about whether pardons could be in
store for the imprisoned agents. . . . In a Jan. 6 interview with
John Gizzi, political editor of Human Events, Bush said he regrets
that the comprehensive immigration bill he endorsed did not prevail.
. . . "Well, I'm sorry it didn't pass, because I felt strongly that
the comprehensive approach to immigration reform was necessary for
border enforcement, as well as recognizing that there are people
willing to do work Americans won't do," Bush said. "[W]ithout the
law, by the way, we did put fence up, and the border is becoming
more secure. People are now recognizing the truth that there are
fewer crossings, and we've ended the catch and release and issues
like that." . . . Bush expressed concern for illegal aliens who risk
their lives to come to the United States.
Obama's ICE candidate pleads for agents' pardon
Former federal investigator demands President Bush release Ramos,
Compean
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2009 WorldNetDaily
1-6-09 --
Upon hearing that he was one of
Barack Obama's candidates to head Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, one federal investigative official's first act was to
write an urgent letter to President Bush – insisting that he pardon
former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. . . .
Rev. Miguel Contreras, 53, has worked for ICE, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service
and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He is
vice president of Christian Alliance Ministries Worldwide and
department head of Christian counseling and social work at
Northwestern Theological Seminary. . . . Last month, Contreras
announced Obama's transition team told him he was a candidate for
assistant secretary of ICE. . . . It was then that he decided to
write a letter on behalf of the imprisoned agents, the El Paso Times
reported. He asked the president to pardon them or reduce their
sentences. . . . "I reviewed everything I could find related to
their cases, and based on my extensive experience, Compean and Ramos
should be released and reinstated to their former jobs," he told the
Times. "I have not received a response."
December 2008
Compean's wife wants heart-to-heart with Bush
'I can't change anybody's mind,
but I would like that opportunity'
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2008 WorldNetDaily
|
Ignacio
Ramos and
Jose Alonso Compean |
12-30-08
-- While another year passes
without a presidential pardon for Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos,
the families are reaching out for an 11th-hour act of compassion. .
. . Jose Compean's wife, Patty, told WND she will not resent George
W. Bush if he leaves office without granting her husband freedom,
but she would like to have a heart-to-heart moment with the
president. . . . "I would just sit down, introduce myself and listen
to him to see where he's coming from and what his point of view is,"
she said. "Then I'd ask for him to give me the same courtesy. He'd
get to see where we're coming from, and I'd get to see where he's
coming from. I can't change anybody's mind, but I would like that
opportunity."
Mr. Bush: Free Ramos And Compean
By Frosty Wooldridge,
NewsWithViews.com
12-18-08
-- Decorated U.S. Border
Patrol officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean sit in prison
today stemming from the worst miscarriage of justice in recent
history. . . . While interdicting and shooting a veteran drug dealer
in the butt for breaking over our southern border with a load of
drugs, district attorney Johnny Sutton sent both men up for a dozen
years each. . . . Those men protected American citizens on the front
lines of the Drug War, served their country and stood up where most
members of Congress and our president sit on their fat rear-ends
doing nothing. . . . Outgoing President George W. Bush possesses the
power to right a horrible wrong before his presidency drops into the
dustbin of history. While he gave pardons and commuted sentences to
several dozen felons like Scooter Libby, he fails Ramos and Compean.
. . . Take time to call Mr. Bush to give one of his phone operators
your message:
Mailing Address
The White House / 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW / Washington, DC 20500
Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111 / Switchboard: 202-456-1414 / FAX:
202-456-2461
Email:
president@whitehouse.gov
Also, join in this effort by signing
a petition on line:
DEMAND A PARDON FOR RAMOS AND COMPEAN! SIGN THE
PETITION NOW!
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said, “The fact that the president has
neglected to free these men from their imprisonment while freeing
drug dealers, embezzlers and other criminals is insulting to the
American people. For the sake of justice, let's hope this is not the
last round of pardons and commutations." . . . Phyllis Schafly,
said, "The severity of these charges and the harshness of the
punishment are totally disproportionate to the violation in
question. Even the illegal drug smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila,
was sentenced to less prison time than our fellow American border
guards!"
President Bush thinking of border agent pardons?
Families tearfully put hope
in clemency during last days
By Chelsea Schilling, © 2008 WorldNetDaily
12-15-08
--
As president, George W. Bush has
pardoned or commuted sentences
for 32 drug dealers, 12 thieves, seven embezzlers, an arsonist, an
armed bank robber and eight Thanksgiving turkeys, among others – but
U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean remain in
prison this Christmas, praying for their release. . . . . "It's
pretty much salt in the wound," Ramos' wife, Monica, told WND. "But
we have a lot of hope. My husband has quite a bit of faith, and we
pray a lot. We are hoping the outpouring of support that we have
here from people all over the nation is going to help us." . . . .
Ramos and Compean are serving 11- and 12-year prison sentences,
respectively, for shooting at a fleeing illegal alien drug dealer
while he smuggled nearly 750 pounds of marijuana across the border.
They were convicted of assault, discharge of a weapon in the
commission of a crime of violence, tampering with an official
proceeding and deprivation of civil rights.
Why Is President Bush Pardoning Drug Felons, But Not Decorated
Border Patrol Agents?
Back in
2004, when President Bush was re-elected, bitter minions of the
Angry Left began slapping garish bumper stickers reading “1-20-09”
on their hypocritically carbon-emitting automobiles. . . . Those
now-familiar stickers, of course, refer to the date on which a new
President will take the oath of office. And following Barack
Obama’s election victory, January 20, 2009 marks the day on which
the red-faced Bush-haters can finally exhale and resume breathing.
. . . To anyone who values the rule of law and our nation’s
territorial integrity, however, January 20, 2009 carries a
significant meaning for a very different reason. . . . Namely, that
is the last day on which President Bush can do the right thing by
issuing long-overdue pardons or commutations to decorated United
States Border Patrol Agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos. With
each passing day, the window for Bush to end the tragic injustice
imposed upon them closes a little bit further. . . . But we can
still do something about that, and help two men who helped protect
us.
Take Action: Send an e-mail to President Bush urging him to
pardon or commute the sentences of Agents Compean and Ramos now!
Ramos and Compean Day of Support Has Record Number of Grassroots
Americans Calling for a Commutation
425,000 Petitions, Faxes and Phone Calls the Centerpieces of Final
Push to Free Imprisoned Border Agents
PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ --
12-10-08
-- For its part in the "Ramos
and Compean Day of Support," Grassfire.org is directing its 1
million plus members to phone and fax both the White House and The
U.S. Pardon Attorney demanding a commutation for imprisoned Border
Agents "Nacho" Ramos and Jose Compean.
"The
President isn't going to pardon Ramos and Compean," says Steve
Elliott, President of Grassfire.org Alliance. "So we're joining a
move calling for a commutation of their sentences in an effort to
have these men freed and returned to their families as soon as
possible."
In
addition to thousands of expected phone calls and faxes, Grassfire
is delivering 425,000 petitions to the Office of the Pardon
Attorney. "This is it for Ramos and Compean," says Elliott. "We are
emptying the tank for them. They stood for us in one of the most
dangerous areas in the nation, and now we have an opportunity to
stand up for them. I'm hopeful that our petitions, phone calls and
faxes will grab the attention of the pardon attorney and this
travesty can be righted, because we are running out of time."
Grassfire believes the government overzealously prosecuted Ramos and
Compean after they shot fleeing drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila.
Both agents were convicted of violating 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c) a
law written to increase the penalties when a violent criminal
carries or uses a weapon during the commission of a crime. As
Elliott says, "The law was never intended to be applied to law
enforcement officers who use their weapons within the scope of their
duties."
SOURCE
Grassfire.org /
http://www.Grassfire.org
Your Last Chance to Help Free Border Agents Ramos and Compean. Take
Action Today!
Grassfire Petitions
Although
President Bush has already pardoned 171 felons, including drug
dealers, smugglers and tax evaders, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean,
the U.S. Border Agents wrongly imprisoned for attempting to stop a
Mexican drug smuggler, remain in solitary confinement serving decade
long prison terms. Friends, with the President's term drawing to a
fast close, Grassfire is urging ALL members to fax and call the White House urging him to pardon Ramos and
Compean. Please click below and schedule your faxes, then call the
White House at
202-456-1414.
Schedule your
personalized faxes to the White House
Sign the petition to free
Ramos and Compean
November 2008
Lawmakers want leniency for 2 jailed Border Patrol agents
By Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press
11-20-08
-- A handful of lawmakers want
President George W. Bush to commute the sentences of two Border
Patrol agents convicted of shooting a now-convicted drug smuggler
and covering it up. . . . The House members said Thursday that Bush
should commute the sentence of the two men before he leaves office
to show his concern for law enforcement officers and the danger of
their jobs. They asked the Justice Department to recommend the
agents' cases to Bush. . . . As Bush's presidency ends a close watch
is being kept on who will get pardons or clemency, including whether
he'll issue pardons to anyone who authorized or engaged in harsh
interrogations of suspected terrorists. The lawmakers pushing for
the pardon attorney to at least commute the sentence of the Border
Patrol agents or possibly pardon them say his action on their plea
will be a barometer for other pardons.
Ramos, Compean Commutation under Review by U.S. Pardon Attorney
By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer, CNSNews.com
11-19-08 --
In the waning days of the Bush administration, the Department of
Justice (DOJ) is mulling whether to recommend a commutation for the
two former Border Patrol agents jailed for more than a decade each
for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler in the buttocks. . . . The case
is now before the DOJ’s Pardon Attorney Donald Rodgers. The Office
of Pardon Attorney works in consultation with the attorney general’s
office to assist the president, who has sole power of clemency in
federal cases under the Constitution. . . . Ultimately, it is the
president’s call regardless of what the Office of Pardon Attorney
recommends. . . . Last week, a federal judge in Texas left intact
the 11-year sentence for Ignacio Ramos and 12-year sentence for Jose
Compean in the shooting case of Mexican drug smuggler Osvaldo
Aldrete-Davila, who was later convicted on a separate drug smuggling
crime.
Second Ex-Border Agent Resentenced in Shooting Case as Supporters
Call for Pardons
Fox News
11-13-08
-- A second former Border
Patrol agent who received a lengthy sentence in a case involving the
shooting of a fleeing drug smuggler has been resentenced to his
original 11 years and a day in prison, as the agents' supporters
hold out hope for presidential pardons. . . . Ignacio Ramos got the
same sentence two years ago when he was convicted in the shooting of
Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, an admitted, and now convicted, drug
smuggler. . . . On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen
Cardone gave Ramos' partner, Jose Alonso Compean, his original
12-year sentence, 10 years on a charge of using a weapon in the
commission of a felony and another two for assault and other
charges. Both men have been in prison since January 2007. . . . In
September, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans
threw out some convictions against Ramos and Compean, prompting this
week's new sentencing hearings. But the court upheld the majority of
the case against the pair, including the weapons charge that brought
the mandatory sentence.
Click here for photos.
Time is Running Out for President to Free Border Agents
Posted By Bobby Eberle
11-11-08
-- With a little over two
months left in office, President Bush has the opportunity to right
an incredible injustice. He has the constitutional power to pardon
former Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Unlike
President Clinton in his last days in office, who used pardons as
political pay-back, President Bush should step forward and grant
freedom to these agents who were doing their job protecting America.
. . . For those how haven't followed this case, Agents Ramos and
Compean shot an illegal alien as he was fleeing back to the Mexican
border. The illegal alien, Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, was in the
process of smugglng approximately a million dollars worth of
marijuana into the U.S. What happened next has set the stage ifor
President Bush to take action in his closing days as president. . .
. Rather than being commended for protecting America's borders, U.S.
Attorney Johnny Sutton decided to prosecute the agents. Sutton
granted Davila n also claims that the agents "decided to lie about
it, cover it up, destroy the evidence, pick up all the shell
casimmunity in exchange for testimony. Sutton said the agents "shot
15 times at an unarmed, fleeing man." Suttoings and throw them away
where we couldn't find them, destroy the crime scene and then file a
false report."
September 2008
Ex-Border Patrol agents denied new hearing
By Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times,
Texas
9-14-08
-- Supporters of two
imprisoned former Border Patrol agents said they would keep fighting
for their freedom even after a request for a new hearing on their
case was denied by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. . . . The
three-judge appeals panel in New Orleans on Wednesday denied a
petition for a rehearing for former El Paso agents Ignacio Ramos and
Jose Alonso Compean. The ruling did not give a reason for the
denial. . . . Ramos and Compean were convicted in 2006 of
civil-rights violations after shooting admitted drug smuggler
Osvaldo Aldrete Davila near Fabens in 2005 and then covering it up.
In July, the same appeals court upheld mandatory 10-year prison
sentences. . . . "The family is distraught," Ramos' father-in-law,
Joe Loya, said by telephone from the Atlanta airport while returning
from Washington, D.C., where supporters have
been urging President Bush to commute the ex-agents' prison
sentences. . . . "It's just unbelievable. We are up against a stone
wall because all these government agencies are connected," Loya
said. "We keep on praying and we don't give up hope."
August 2008
Push to free border agents is renewed
By Graeme Zielinski - SAEN
8-16-08
-- Joe Loya, father-in-law of
former Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos, slipped into the shade
outside the El Paso federal courthouse last week, lamenting the
absence of a Lou Dobbs producer while a volunteer “Minuteman” from
California captured Loya on a digital recorder for a Web site. . . .
A few yards away, Mexican drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, 27,
shackled and just sentenced to 114 months in prison, was soon to be
led into a white bus emblazoned with the U.S. Marshals Service
insignia. . . . Hundreds of miles away, Ramos and Jose Alonso
Compean sat incarcerated, in Phoenix and in Elkton, Ohio,
respectively, each serving more than a decade for a 2005 shooting in
the dust of the Mexican border. The two former Border Patrol agents
shot a fleeing and unarmed Aldrete in the buttocks during a botched
drug run on the border near El Paso. . . . The past few weeks have
seen dramatic developments in the cases of Ramos and Compean,
pushing the story back onto front pages and breathing new energy
into movements — inflamed by the roiling debate over drugs and
immigration from Mexico — to see them freed. . . . As the options
for Ramos and Compean become more limited, there is still a flurry
of activity on their behalf, fired by a recent appellate ruling and
Aldrete's conviction. . . . Supporters continue to raise money for
the former agents' legal defense and their young families.
Congressional attempts are under way to retroactively change gun
laws in such a way that would see Ramos and Compean sprung.
 
Eagle Forum’s Action Alert
U.S. Border Patrol Agents are Still in Prison!
Call the White House and
Tell President Bush to Pardon Ramos and Compean!
8-13-08
-- On February 17, 2005, U.S.
Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were guarding
the Mexican border near El Paso, TX when they intercepted a van
carrying 743 pounds of marijuana. They attempted to prevent a
Mexican drug-smuggler from crossing the border and illegally
entering the United States. After the U.S. government intervened and
granted immunity and a temporary visa to the illegal drug-smuggler
in exchange for testimony against Ramos and Compean, the two border
guards were convicted for allegedly shooting one bullet into the
man's buttocks and for failing to report the discharge of their
firearms. They were given 11-and 12-year sentences and remain in
solitary confinement in a medium security prison.
On July
28, 2008, a 3-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
upheld the prison sentences
and 7 of the 12 charges that were brought against the two border
guards, but overturned the charge that they obstructed justice by
failing to report the incident. Although their alleged violation
deserved only an administrative reprimand, the 5th Circuit Court
upheld the mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentences for
"discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of
violence." This law, known as
Section 924(c) of the U.S.
Code, has always been interpreted to apply to criminals, not law
enforcement officers engaged in their official duties.
Not only
has the 5th Circuit unjustly ruled to deny freedom to our brave
border guards, but they have now set a dangerous precedent which
will no doubt intimidate law enforcement officers all over the
United States. We simply cannot have a national policy of
intimidating our border guards from intercepting drug-smugglers or
even defending themselves against those who should be presumed to be
armed and dangerous.
We call
on President Bush to pardon these two border guards who most
Americans and
75 Members of Congress
believe are the targets of unfair prosecution under a law never
intended to be used against border guards, an unfair trial in which
the Bush-appointed judge withheld from the jury damaging information
about the drug smuggler Davila who was the key witness against the
defendants, unfairly long sentences (years longer than the same
judge gave the professional drug smuggler whom Ramos and Compean
intercepted), and unfair prison treatment in which they were beaten
by illegal-alien prisoners.
Although
the families of Ramos and Compean plan to appeal their cases to the
U.S. Supreme Court, there is no guarantee that the High Court will
agree to hear it. There is the possibility that the Fifth Circuit
may rehear the case in front of all 17 judges at a later date, but
the fastest and most effective way to free the border guards would
be with a presidential pardon.
Please
begin to flood the White House phone lines with calls asking
President George W. Bush to pardon Ramos and Compean before he
leaves office! Also tell President Bush that if he will not grant
the border guards a full pardon, you expect him to commute their
prison sentences, just like he did for his buddy Scooter Libby, and
if nothing else, he should at least mandate a transfer of these men
from solitary confinement in a medium security prison filled with
violent criminals to a minimum security prison.
White House Phone
Numbers:
Office of the
President (202) 456-1414
Comment Line (202)
456-1111
Office of Public
Liaison (202) 456-2380
Get your calls in today! Ramos and Compean are counting on YOU!
Further Reading:
Who Will Protect Us Against Invasion?,
8-12-08
Open Letter To President Bush,
4-04-07
Let's Prosecute Drug Smugglers, Not Border Guards,
2-21-07
We Need Compassion For Our Border Guards,
1-03-07
July 2008
Public Demands Justice For Agents Ramos And Compean
By Dr. Laurie Roth, NewsWithViews.com
7-30-08
-- This week I thought I would
lose my mind when I heard of the horrifying decision by the Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals against Agent Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Compean. So many of us who had followed this case for the last few
years were hoping that once all the evidence had finally been heard,
unlike with the first trial that justice would be done. Wrong!!
Justice was not done!!!********************Who would you believe in
court? The illegal alien drug dealer who lied to everyone and was
arrested many times carrying drugs, but was magically given immunity
to testify against Ramos and Compean, or the two long standing and
well liked border patrol agents who said they fired in self defense
and didn’t even know they had hit Davila? . . . Given the insanity
that they were even arrested in the first place, let alone convicted
and thrown in prison, I was naturally so relieved and thrilled that
finally an appeal was in process. Those of us looking on for the
last few years of suffering and horror with these two families,
hoped that justice would finally be done. Apparently not yet!
Border agent convictions upheld by court of appeals
Major charges against
Ramos, Compean affirmed minor count reversed, judges order
resentencing
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2008 WorldNetDaily
7-29-08
-- The Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals today affirmed the major counts against former Border Patrol
agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, reversing only a minor
obstruction of justice count. . . . Ramos and Compean are serving
11- and 12-year prison sentences, respectively, after a jury
convicted them of violating federal gun laws and covering up the
shooting of a drug smuggler as he fled back to Mexico after driving
across the border with 743 pounds of marijuana in February 2005.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton's office gave the smuggler, Osbaldo
Aldrete-Davila, immunity to serve as the government's star witness
and testify against the border agents. . . . The agents were
convicted for assault, discharge of a weapon in the commission of a
crime of violence, tampering with an official proceeding and
deprivation of civil rights. . . . The court affirmed all
convictions except for tampering with an official proceeding, which
it vacated and remanded for resentencing. . . . The bulk of their
sentences, however, stem from a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence
imposed by Congress for anyone convicted of discharging a weapon in
the commission of a crime. Only a reversal of that count could
remove 10 years from their sentences.
Judicial Watch Sues Us Gov't. On Behalf Of Imprisoned Border Patrol
Agents
By NWV News Director, Jim Kouri, ©
NewsWithViews.com
7-20-08
--
Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, the two Border Patrol
agents shamelessly prosecuted by the U.S. government for shooting
and wounding a Mexican drug smuggler, Oswald Aldrete-Davila, on
February 17, 2005, have not been forgotten by many Americans -- such
as attorney's from
Judicial Watch -- who are
actively pursuing their release from captivity. . . . The two Border
Patrol agents were sentenced to 11 and 12 years respectively.
Meanwhile, Aldrete-Davila, who attempted to smuggle 750 pounds of
marijuana into the U.S., was given medical treatment and immunity
for his testimony against the railroaded border agents. . . .
"Instead of giving these two dedicated law enforcement officers the
'heroes treatment," they were arrested, tried and imprisoned.
Americans who bothered to follow the news coverage of the case were,
for the most part, shocked at the disgraceful treatment of Agents
Compean and Ramos," said political strategist Mike Baker. . . . "You
may disagree with me, but I believe the legal action taken against
these Border Patrol veterans was the Bush Administration's way of
sending a message to all US Border Patrol agents: Don't do your
jobs. If you do, you'll be punished," Baker suspects. . . . Former
New York City police detective now owner of a Manhattan security
firm, Sidney Francis is quite disturbed over the Ramos/Compean case,
as well. . . . "This reminds me of the incidents when cops, who did
their jobs protecting and serving the people of New York, would be
singled out for punishment, harassment and loss of their jobs.
Meanwhile, crooked, abusive cops would always find protection behind
the so-called "Blue Wall," and never suffered for their
transgressions," said Det. Francis. . . . "The message in the
Compean/Ramos case seems to be: do your jobs and you'll be punished.
Ignore illegal aliens violating US laws and you'll be rewarded with
pay increases, promotions and other 'goodies' by cynical political
leaders who favor an unbridled invasion of the US by millions of
illegal aliens," he added. . . . Three weeks ago, Judicial Watch, a
non-partisan, public interest law firm, filed a lawsuit against the
Department of State to obtain documents related to the government's
decision to prosecute Ramos and Compean and to strike a deal with
the criminal and drug trafficker Aldrete-Davila for his testimony
against the two agents who intercepted him at the US-Mexican border.
. . . According to officials at Judicial Watch, JD attorneys
filed their original FOIA
request on April 17, 2008. However, the US government failed to
respond within the statutory 20-day period, forcing Judicial Watch
attorneys to file their lawsuit.
What did government promise drug smuggler?
Details of deal with Ramos-Compean
witness sought
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
7-14-08
--
A lawsuit has been filed against the United States government by a
watchdog group seeking information about what was promised and
delivered to a now-confessed drug smuggler that allowed him to
travel back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico after two border
agents caught him bringing a third of a ton of drugs into the United
States. . . . The case was filed by
Judicial Watch, whose chief,
Tom Fitton, told WND there are a lot of explanations needed in the
case involving smuggler Oswald Aldrete-Davila and now-former U.S.
Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. . . . It was on
Feb. 17, 2005, when the trio first came together. Ramos and Compean
pursued Aldrete-Davila on foot after Aldrete-Davila abandoned a van
containing 743 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $1 million. .
. . During the chase, Ramos shot at Aldrete-Davila in the belief
that the smuggler had drawn a gun of his own. Aldrete-Davila escaped
across the border into Mexico, and Ramos assumed Aldrete-Davila was
unhurt. In fact, Aldrete-Davila had been shot in the buttock.
June 2008
Judicial Watch v US Department of State
Judicial
Watch lawsuit to obtain records regarding communications and
contacts between the U.S. Department of State and other entities,
including U.S. government agencies and the Government of Mexico,
involving Mexican national Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, who was shot by
U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean in a drug-related
incident near the U.S./Mexico border, as well as records regarding
the Diplomatic Security Services' activities in response to this
incident and records regarding assistance provided by the Department
of State to Mr. Aldrete-Davila.
Complaint (June 13, 2008) --
JW complaint against the U.S. Department of State to obtain records
regarding communications and contacts between the U.S. Department of
State and other entities, including U.S. government agencies and the
Government of Mexico, involving Mexican national Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila,
who was shot by U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean in a
drug-related incident near the U.S./Mexico border, as well as
records regarding the Diplomatic Security Services' activities in
response to this incident and records regarding assistance provided
by the Department of State to Mr. Aldrete-Davila.
May 2008
New ethics complaint targets Ramos-Compean prosecutor
Contends public domain facts show Johnny Sutton 'willfully
misleading'
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
5-12-08 --
A Christian pastor says he has filed an ethics complaint with the
Texas Bar Association seeking an investigation into U.S. Attorney
Johnny Sutton's "willfully misleading" statements in the case
against former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Compean. . . . Don Swarthout, president of
Christians Reviving America's Values, today confirmed his
ethics complaint cites Sutton's actions in the case in which Ramos
and Compean were convicted of shooting at a drug smuggler who had
dropped a load of marijuana near the Texas border and was fleeing
back into Mexico. . . . An announcement from his organization
confirmed, "Swarthout charges Sutton's office willfully misled the
jury in order to convicted Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and
Jose Compean." . . . On Feb. 17, 2005, Ramos and Compean pursued
Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila on foot after Aldrete-Davila abandoned a van
containing 743 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $1 million.
During the chase, Ramos shot at Aldrete-Davila in the belief that
the smuggler had drawn a gun of his own. Aldrete-Davila escaped
across the border, and Ramos assumed Aldrete-Davila was unhurt. In
fact, Aldrete-Davila had been shot in the buttock.
'Ramos, Compean must ask for clemency'
Spokeswoman says 'there's a
process' for pardons
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
5-1-08 --
The two former U.S. Border Patrol agents who were sentenced to
prison terms of more than a decade each for shooting at a drug
smuggler who dumped a load in the United States, then fled on foot
back into Mexico rather than be arrested, must ask if they want
clemency in their cases, according to the White House. . . . "There
is a process under which anyone can apply for a pardon or a
commutation. And if they want to take advantage of that process,
they're absolutely welcome to," Dana Perino, the White House
spokeswoman, told WND today. . . . She was responding to a question
from Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House, about
the case involving Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. It has been a
subject of dispute among border control advocates ever since the two
were arrested. . . . They were convicted in their trial on the
testimony of Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, who was given a grant of
immunity from prosecution for his crimes and testified how he was
shot and injured by the officers who were trying to arrest him.
April 2008
Call renewed for pardons for border agents
'Once again, I am
challenging President Bush to do what is right'
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
4-18-08
--
Mychal Massie,
the chief of the nonprofit and nonpartisan Project 21
and a
columnist for WND, is
renewing his call to President Bush to pardon two former U.S. Border
Patrol agents who were convicted and jailed for shooting at a
fleeing drug smuggler. . . . The call from Massie, whose Project 21
has been a leading voice of the African-American community for
nearly two decades, follows a guilty plea from Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila,
the smuggler in the case involving agents Jose Compean and Ignacio
Ramos. . . . Aldrete-Davila pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S.
District Court in El Paso, Texas, to drug smuggling and is to be
sentenced in July. . . . Compean and Ramos are serving prison terms
for shooting at the smuggler while he was running back to Mexico in
2005, Massie's statement noted. Aldrete-Davila conspired to smuggle
marijuana into the U.S. twice after he was granted immunity to
testify against the agents. . . . "It is time to prove that he
[Bush] places the welfare of American communities and those men and
women who risk their lives to protect them over the welfare of lying
illicit drug smugglers," Massie said. "Pardon Ramos and Compean now,
Mr. President!"
March 2008
Pardon me: Bush blasted for ignoring border agents
'Leaving good cops behind bars is
unconscionable'
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
03-26-08
--
President Bush is coming under fire for presidential pardons
yesterday that included forgiveness for drug smugglers, an embezzler
and others, but not for jailed Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos
and Jose Compean. . . . Ramos and Compean entered prison in January
2007 after a controversial ruling on their actions in apprehending a
fleeing drug smuggler. . . . "I believe the president's stolid
refusal to pardon Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso
Compean is the most unconscionable act of disloyalty he has
perpetrated upon those sworn to protect our well-being. I know this
feeling is shared by many other patriotic Americans," said Mychal
Massie, chairman of
Project 21 and a
WND columnist. "This sends a
disturbing signal to the men and women who protect our borders, not
to mention how it must affect the morale of those serving overseas."
. . . On Feb. 17, 2005, Ramos and Compean pursued Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila
on foot after Aldrete-Davila abandoned a van containing 743 pounds
of marijuana worth an estimated $1 million. During the chase, Ramos
shot at Aldrete-Davila in the belief that Aldrete-Davila had drawn a
gun of his own. Aldrete-Davila escaped across the U.S.-Mexico
border, and Ramos assumed Aldrete-Davila was unhurt. In fact,
Aldrete-Davila had been shot in the buttock.
December 2007
Is There Now Hope for Jailed Border Agents?
Mike Cutler
12-10-07
-- I have written a number of
previous commentaries about U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ramos and
Compean and for good reason; in my opinion, they were maliciously
prosecuted. Apparently, some members of Congress agree. . . . There
are both Democrat and Republican members of the House of
Representatives who have publicly called for the issuance of a
Presidential pardon in this case that Congressman Delahunt, the
chairman of the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human
Rights and Oversight, refers to as a "miscarriage of justice." . . .
In fact, Representative Delahunt, a Democrat, and
Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican, as well as other
members of Congress from both sides of the political aisle are
convinced that justice was not served by the prosecution of Agents
Ramos and Compean, and these Congressmen are working hard for the
beleaguered agents. . . . Johnny Sutton was the prosecutor in this
case and it was he who was behind the unfortunate prosecution of
these law enforcement officers. Sutton was recently quoted in the
Washington Times as having stated the “punishment was high” but the
sentences were mandated by Congress. . . . “Reasonable people can
certainly argue that the time the agents received was too much, but
that is an issue that needs to be taken up with those in Congress
who set the sentencing guidelines,” he said. “My job is to uphold
the law. It’s someone else’s responsibility to determine if it
needs to be changed.”
House resolution wants Ramos, Compean freed
Bi-partisan plan suggests terms be commuted before Christmas
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
10-7-07
-- A bi-partisan resolution
is being introduced into the House of Representatives calling on
President Bush to commute immediately the sentences of Border Patrol
agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, so they can be home with
their families by Christmas. . . . Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass.,
the sponsor of the resolution, is being joined by Rep. Silverstre
Reyes, D-Texas, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., as co-sponsors.
. . . Ramos and Compean are serving 11- and 12-year sentences,
respectively, for shooting at fleeing drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila
in an incident on the Texas border with Mexico on Feb. 17, 2005. . .
. Currently, Ramos and Compean are in concrete-slab solitary
confinement in maximum security federal prisons. . . . This
resolution marks the first time Democrats and Republicans in the
House have succeeded in bringing together a bi-partisan coalition
supporting Ramos and Compean. . . . "It is clear that the momentum
of public opinion has dramatically shifted in favor of wrongly
imprisoned Border Agents Ramos and Compean," said Rohrabacher in a
press release issued by his Washington office at the close of
business.
Judge: Prosecutors May Have Overreacted In Case Against Border
Patrol Agents
Associated Press
12-3-07
-- Federal prosecutors may
have overreacted in their case against two Border Patrol agents who
were sentenced to lengthy prison terms after jurors convicted them
of shooting a fleeing drug suspect and hiding evidence of the
incident, an appeals court judge said Monday. . .. Judge E. Grady
Jolly, one of three judges from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals hearing the case of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean,
questioned whether the two agents would have been charged if they
had reported the shooting. . . . "For some reason, this one got out
of hand, it seems to me," Jolly said of the agents' prosecution. . .
. A federal jury in Texas convicted Ramos and Compean of assault,
obstruction of justice and civil rights violations in the wounding
of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila on the Texas border near El Paso in
2005. A federal judge sentenced Compean to 12 years in prison and
Ramos to 11 years.
November 2007
'Pardon Ramos and Compean now!'
Long-time Bush friend among 31
leaders signing letter to White House
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
11-19-07
--
More than 30 conservative leaders, including one of President Bush's
long-time friends, have signed a letter urging Bush to pardon
imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. . .
. The move follows news that the
drug smuggler in the case, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, was arrested
last week at the Mexican border
for alleged drug offenses committed while under immunity to testify
as the star witness. . . . The leaders calling for a pardon include
Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the
Free Congress Foundation;
Phyllis Schlafly, founder and president of
Eagle Forum; Morton
Blackwell, chairman of the
Conservative Leadership PAC;
Frank Gaffney, Jr., president of the
Center for Security Policy;
and David Keene, chairman of the
American Conservative Union.
Man whose testimony sent 2 agents to prison arrested
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
11-16-07 --
The admitted drug
smuggler who sparked a national movement to free two El Paso Border
Patrol agents convicted of shooting him was arrested Thursday on
drug charges at the Zaragoza Bridge, officials with the U.S.
attorney's office said. . . . Prosecutors used the testimony of
Osvaldo Aldrete Davila to convict agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose
Alonso Compean, who are serving prison terms. . . . Aldrete, 27, was
arrested by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and of the
Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General for
alleged conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute
marijuana in September and October 2005.
October 2007
Bush won't get involved in Ramos, Compean review
Congressman says former agents treated worse than terrorists
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
10-19-07
--
President Bush's spokeswoman, Dana Perino, has brushed off a request
from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.,
for the Bush administration to review the harsh treatment convicted
Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean reportedly are
receiving in solitary confinement. . . . Rohrabacher had made the
request, arguing that for 10 months Ramos and Compean have been in
conditions more severe than experienced by terrorists held by the
U.S. at the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba. . . . The congressman also said he has written to
Manhattan federal trial judge Michael
Mukasey, Bush's nominee to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney
general, demanding that upon confirmation Mukasey conduct an
unbiased review of the agents' prosecution. . . . Les Kinsolving,
WND's correspondent at the White House, raised the issue during a
press briefing at the White House. . . . "Congressman Dana
Rohrabacher has asked for what he calls a thorough review of the
treatment given Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean
in solitary confinement, saying they have been treated more severely
than terrorists held in Guantanamo Bay. And my question: How will
the president respond to this request?" . . . Apparently not at all,
according to Perino.
Lawmaker: Terrorists treated better than Ramos, Compean
Congressman calls for investigation into reported harsh conditions
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
10-17-07
--Rep.
Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., is
calling on the Bush administration to conduct a thorough review of
harsh treatment convicted Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and
Jose Compean reportedly are receiving in solitary confinement. . . .
Rohrabacher argues that for 10 months Ramos and Compean have been in
conditions more severe than experienced by terrorists held by the
U.S. at the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba. . . . The congressman also disclosed he has written a letter to
Manhattan federal trial judge Michael
Mukasey, Bush's nominee to replace Alberto Gonzales as attorney
general, demanding that upon confirmation Mukasey conduct an
unbiased review of the agents' prosecution. . . . "Given the close
personal relationship between the prosecuting U.S. Attorney Johnny
Sutton, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and President Bush,
past requests for inquiries into prosecutorial misconduct in this
case have been ignored," Rohrabacher claimed in a statement.
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September 2007
Ex-border agents appeal convictions
Jerry Seper
9-24-07 -- Two former U.S. Border Patrol agents sentenced to lengthy prison terms
for shooting a drug-smuggling suspect have asked a federal appeals
court to overturn their convictions, saying they were charged with a
nonexistent crime and convicted after the jury was given improper
instructions by the trial judge. . . . Houston defense lawyer J.
Mark Brewer said two counts of a grand jury indictment against
former agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean charged them
under a federal statute with the discharge of a firearm in relation
to a crime of violence, but the statute does not define a crime and
contains only a sentencing factor to be addressed after conviction.
. . . Mr. Brewer said in a 20-page motion that the
"improperly-crafted indictment" misfocused the agents, counsel and
jury on a nonexistent crime of unlawful discharge of a firearm,
because the agents were authorized to possess, carry and use a
firearm in the normal course of their job. . . . He said that in
order to charge a crime under the government's 10-year mandatory
sentence statute, an indictment "must allege that a defendant either
has used or carried a firearm ... during and in relation to any
crime of violence or has possessed a firearm in furtherance of such
a crime." He said the prosecution "misstated" the crime defined by
federal statute. . . . Mr. Brewer said the district court
"erroneously told the jury the federal statute made it a crime for
anyone to discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of
violence." . . . A ruling in the case is expected next month.
Dog tags urge pardon for Ramos, Compean
Also serving as fundraiser for agents' families
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
|
Front of dog tag
Back of dog tag |
9-10-07
-- A chief at a sportswear and
emblem company has launched a website to urge pardons for former
U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were
imprisoned in 2006 for firing their guns at a fleeing Mexican drug
smuggler, and raise funds for their families. . . . Rich Soergel of
Pacific Sportswear and Emblem Co. told WND that his goal over the
coming six months is to raise at least $50,000 for the families of
the agents serving prison terms of 11 and 12 years. . . .
"I have created a grass roots fundraising campaign to raise money
for the Ramos and Compean families by offering a special dog tag,"
he said. The product calls for freedom for the agents on the front
side, and on the back, has the telephone number for the White House.
. . . "Demand pardon. Call the White House at (202) 456-1414," it
says. . . . The fundraiser is located at Free Our Border Agents.com, he said.
. . . The dog tabs are brushed aluminum and coated with lacquer, he
said.
The ballad of Ramos and Compean
How
the anti-immigration right -- and Lou Dobbs -- turned two rogue
Border Patrol agents into heroes and got Congress on their side.
By Alex Koppelman
|
AP
Photos/The
El Paso
Times, Ruben R. Ramirez
Jose
Alonso Compean (left) and Ignacio Ramos arrive Jan. 17,
2007, at the federal courthouse in
El Paso,
Texas,
to surrender to authorities. |
9-4-07 --
Two years ago, in the Texas desert southeast of El Paso, two U.S.
Border Patrol agents fired 15 bullets at a suspected drug dealer who
was fleeing on foot toward the border. The man, a Mexican national,
was hit once in the buttocks but made it across the Rio Grande. The
agents who fired their weapons, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, were
sentenced to more than a decade in prison for firing on an unarmed
man and then trying to cover up the crime. . . . For the prosecutors
and the jury, the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila near Fabens,
Texas, was a clearly unlawful use of force. But the conviction of
Ramos and Compean was just the beginning of the agents' story.
Within months, they had become the center of a dubious political
crusade that would energize the furthest reaches of the right,
dominate one of CNN's most popular news programs, and persuade a
quarter of the U.S. House of Representatives -- and one prominent
Democratic senator -- to reject the findings of a federal court. . .
. With the help of reporters and activists promoting -- and
embellishing -- the defense's version of the case, the two convicted
agents were transformed into martyrs for the battle against illegal
immigration. Instead of rogue officers who shot a fleeing, unarmed
suspect and then lied about it, they became stand-up cops who were
forced to shoot an armed drug dealer and then sent to prison by a
legal system run amok. After they went to prison in January 2007,
they even became the tragic heroes of a country song called
"Ramos and Compean."
Nearly
400,000 people have signed a petition demanding a presidential
pardon for the agents. There are two bills to pardon them pending in
Congress, one with more than 100 cosponsors,
including five Democrats. . . .
How did
Ramos and Compean get reinvented as right-wing heroes? The answer
lies in the way Americans get their information, from a fragmented
news media that makes it easier than ever to tune out opposing views
and inconvenient truths. When people seek "facts" only from sources
with which they agree, it's possible for demonstrable untruths to
enter the narrative and remain there unchallenged. The ballad of
Ramos and Compean is a story that one side of America's polarized
culture has gotten all wrong and that much of the other side -- and
the rest of the country -- has never even heard. . . . Federal
prosecutions of law enforcement agents are not undertaken lightly.
"No prosecutor ever wants to be in a position of prosecuting a cop
or a federal agent," says Johnny Sutton, U.S. attorney for the
Western District of Texas, whose office prosecuted Ramos and Compean.
"They're our co-workers, they're our friends, we represent them in
court ... But when one steps over the line and commits a serious
crime, it's very important that they be held accountable ... [and]
most agents would say what these guys did was outrageous." . . .
Prosecutors in Sutton's office considered the conduct of Ramos and
Compean outrageous enough that the two men were charged with seven
and nine counts, respectively. Both were charged with assault with
intent to commit murder. At trial, government prosecutors presented
a case, supported by eyewitness testimony, that alleged the
following: On Feb. 17, 2005, Aldrete-Davila led Border Patrol agents
on a high-speed car chase that ended at a ditch about 120 yards from
Mexico. Aldrete-Davila abandoned a van with 743 pounds of marijuana
inside and made a dash for the border. Compean, on foot, intercepted
Aldrete-Davila, who put his hands in the air to surrender.
August 2007
Jailed border agents case tied to Mexican trucks
Drug smuggler had commercial drivers license
By Jerome R. Corsi, © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
8-27-07
-- WND has discovered a
previously unreported connection between the case of Border Patrol
agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean and the Department of
Transportation's Mexican truck-demonstration project. . . .
In the Ramos-Compean case, the two agents convicted for 11 and 12
year prison terms respectively for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler,
an overlooked fact is that the fleeing smuggler held a valid Mexican
commercial drivers license at the time of the incident. . . . In his
testimony at the trial of Ramos and Compean, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila first testified that he held a commercial
drivers license that expired in November 2004.
. . . Under cross-examination from Ramos' defense counsel Mary
Stillinger, Aldrete-Davila reversed his testimony, admitting he had
two commercial drivers licenses and that one of the licenses, which
authorized him to transport hazardous material, was valid until
2013. . . . Under close questioning, Stillinger refuted Aldrete-Davila's
contention that a certificate on his second license required to
transport hazardous material had expired six months before the drug
incident involving Ramos and Compean. . . . Stillinger established
that Aldrete-Davila had a certificate valid through December 2005,
giving him permission to go into Pemex,
Mexico's state-owned oil company, to transport gasoline.
Proper Review
Officials’ use of lethal force must always be investigated
The Brownsville Herald
8-20-07
-- Emotions continue to cloud
the thinking of many people regarding illegal immigration and the
need for officers and agents patrolling the border to maintain
proper procedure and ensure everyone’s right to due process. . . . A
Border Patrol agent fatally shot a suspected immigrant smuggler
Wednesday night at the El Paso border wall. Last week an agent with
the U.S. Department of Customs and Border Patrol fired at a man who
sped through a secure part of the
Veterans International Bridge at
Los Tomates. The man apparently was fleeing from Mexican
authorities, and neither the driver nor two children who were in the
truck with him were struck by the gunfire. . . . As is both routine
and proper, the incidents are being investigated to assure that the
agents’ actions were justified. . . . Both incidents prompted calls
to this newspaper and comments on various sites on television and
the Internet. Some echoed alarmists’ rhetoric that possible
terrorists are streaming unabated across our border; some went as
far as to say that U.S. agents should simply open fire on anyone who
appears to be encroaching our border, no questions asked. . . .
These kinds of comments often carry a complaint that the
investigations only harass the agents who are keeping our country
safe, and put them in danger by making them more hesitant to draw
their weapons if they ever encounter future danger. . . . At the
same time, countless people, including members of Congress, continue
to lobby for the release and exoneration of former Border Patrol
agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were convicted this year
of crimes stemming from the shooting of an alleged immigrant and
drug smuggler. . . . In this latter case, people contend that
because of whom they shot the ends justify the means. The court,
however, determined that the agents’ actions were improper and
criminal. They shot at the alleged smuggler 15 times as he crossed
the Rio Grande into Mexico, striking him in the backside. The agents
then tried to cover up their actions — something they probably
wouldn’t have done if they didn’t know that what they did was wrong.
. . . Law enforcement, to be sure, is dangerous work, and those who
choose to do it deserve our support and thanks.
Mr. President, Release Ramos And Compean
by Chuck Baldwin
July 31, 2007
Any thoughts that the U.S. Justice
Department and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton were sincerely seeking
true justice with the prosecution and conviction of former U.S.
Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean have been
thoroughly exposed as blatantly disingenuous by the recent
revelation of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).
Readers who are following this
unbelievable case know that Rep. Rohrabacher is scheduled to conduct
congressional hearings today regarding the Ramos and Compean affair.
I am confident that Rohrabacher will focus much of the committee's
investigation on the illegitimacy of the Justice Department's star
witness, Mexican drug-runner Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, and the
possibility that the Mexican government was involved in our
country's prosecution of the two Border Patrol agents.
Congressman Rohrabacher obtained
copies of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) border pass cards
issued to Aldrete-Davila via a Freedom of Information Act request.
What he discovered is proof beyond all doubt that the prosecution of
Ramos and Compean was illegitimate and that the two agents should be
immediately released.
Rohrabacher discovered that Aldrete-Davila
was, at the time he was granted border pass cards by the DHS,
already involved in an active drug cartel. Beyond that, Aldrete-Davila
brought a "second load" of over 700 pounds of marijuana into the
United States after receiving his border passes.
Remember, Ramos and Compean were
convicted on the strength of the testimony of the drug smuggler,
Aldrete-Davila, who had been granted complete immunity from
prosecution for his testimony against the two agents. The case
ultimately came down to the word of an illegal Mexican drug smuggler
against the word of two Border Patrol agents, one of whom (Ramos)
had been nominated for Border Patrol Agent of the Year in 2005 (the
same year he was indicted). Sutton convinced a jury to believe the
drug-smuggler. This is a decision many of the jurors now regret, by
the way.
Are you putting all this together?
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton ignored the fact that Aldrete-Davila had
been caught smuggling drugs a second time before giving him immunity
and proceeding with his testimony against Ramos and Compean. Of
course, all of this was kept from the jury. By any standard of
justice, this would constitute grounds for complete dismissal of all
charges against Ramos and Compean.
In today's congressional hearings,
Rohrabacher will also focus on the fact that the Justice Department
did not decide to prosecute Ramos and Compean until after receiving
a demand from the Mexican Consulate that the two agents be punished
for wounding the Mexican drug dealer.
Remember, too, that the physician who
removed the bullet-fragment from Aldrete-Davila's leg testified that
the bullet placement was not inconsistent with someone who might be
in a position to fire a weapon at the agents. This means the drug
dealer was not shot in the back as Sutton claimed. In other words,
the only word we have that the drug dealer was unarmed is the word
of the drug dealer. The agents said they believed they saw a weapon.
At this point, let me invite readers
to listen to my interview with Todd Hartley and PHX News out of
Phoenix, Arizona regarding the imprisonment of Ramos and Compean. In
his interview with me, Todd said that as he spoke with Ramos'
family, my name kept coming up, so he wanted to do an interview with
me for the benefit of his radio listeners. That interview can be
heard at
http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=50772
Feel free to listen
and share this interview with everyone you can.
If there is one message the White
House needs to hear, it is this:
Mr. President, release
Ramos and Compean!
|
Agent
Ramos was attacked in prison by five Hispanic illegals with
steel-tipped boots, shouting "****la migra" -- an
obscenity. Congressman Ted Poe said bitterly: "The federal
government doesn't do any better job of protecting border agents in
jail than it does protecting them on the border."
The
bank has foreclosed on Agent Ramos's house, and his wife and
three children have been forced to move in with relatives.
Likewise, Agent Compean's wife -- with a new baby and two other
children -- is struggling to get by, courtesy of the federal
government, yours and mine. 
