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Judicial Watch granted hearing to plead case for records on border agent case

The public-interest group Judicial Watch has been granted a hearing by a federal judge in response to its request for government records detailing contacts between the U.S. and Mexican governments related to the prosecution of two former Border Patrol agents.

Judicial Watch says the government has failed, under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, to respond to its request for records pertaining to the case against agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were convicted in the shooting of Mexican drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila on February 17, 2005. Spokesman Chris Farrell says Judicial Watch wants to know -- and the public has a right to know -- what involvement the Mexican government had in this case.

"Of course we know that Mr. Davila, the Mexican drug runner, was given immunity to testify against the two law enforcement officers," Farrell explains. "So we wanted to find out ... the details -- what all the background was, between what was going on back and forth, the negotiations, the communications between our government and the Mexican government."

According to Farrell, a decision was made at some point in the negotiations that Davila be given what the JW spokesman describes as a "sweetheart deal" that permitted him to come and go as he pleased. "[H]e had a border-crossing pass in exchange for medical treatment and also for his testimony against the two agents," he states. "That didn't just fall out of the sky."

Farrell says the agents should have been given the benefit of the doubt. "Frankly, they deal with a lot of dirtballs, a rough criminal element," he points. "And for whatever reason [U.S. Attorney Johnny] Sutton has gone on his own little private jihad against Border Patrol agents." Sutton granted Davila immunity for his testimony.

Farrell feels the agents should not have been subjected to the legal high jinks that has landed them 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively, in federal prison. The hearing has been set for Monday, July 23, at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.