Feds say Border Patrol agents were 'out to shoot Mexicans'

Feds say Border Patrol agents
were 'out to shoot Mexicans'
Congressmen argue no proof offered
of charge against 2 facing prison terms

Congressmen concerned about the convictions and stiff prison sentences of two Border Patrol agents who injured a Mexican drug dealer they were pursuing say Homeland Security officials told them the pair were "out to shoot Mexicans."

The White House and federal officials have been getting heat for offering the drug dealer immunity to testify against the two lawmen -- Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean – both of whom are Mexican-Americans.

The agents were convicted in March of shooting admitted drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks as he ran away from them near the Rio Grande River in February 2005. Ramos and Compean were sentenced last week to 11 and 12 years, respectively.

Texas Republicans Rep. Ted Poe, Rep. John Culberson, Kenny Marchant and Michael McCaul met with unnamed officials of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General last month. They were promised more evidence against the two officers would be offered after the sentencing, which took place last week.

Some members of Congress, as well as National Border Patrol Council President T.J. Bonner, now say it's time for the officials to provide the proof they promised.

Aldrete-Davila, a Mexican, is now suing the Border Patrol for $5 million for his injury and violation of his rights.

A congressional hearing on the case is being planned for Nov. 13.

As WND reported earlier this week, a dozen members of the House of Representatives have written to President Bush demanding an investigation of the case against the Border Patrol agents.

The letter to Bush was signed by Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va. and Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., the chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus.

"Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean attempted to apprehend a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across the U.S. border last year," wrote the congressmen. "The two agents were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the smuggler was granted full immunity to testify against the agents. Both men were convicted by a Texas jury for firing shots at the fleeing smuggler, who, they believed, carried a gun."

The letter questioned the accuracy of the charges against the agents and the conduct of the prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton.

"We ask that a full investigation of this case be ordered immediately," they went on to say in the letter sent to the White House yesterday. "We are confident that during such an investigation you will find that these Border Patrol agents were acting within the scope of their duty and were unjustly prosecuted. Also, we ask that you use your power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon these two Border Patrol agents. We understand these requests usually are for those that have already completed their sentences; however, we feel in this case it would be a miscarriage of justice to send these two Border Patrol agents to prison for protecting our nation's borders from an illegal drug smuggler."

The letter notes that both agents have been ordered to surrender themselves to federal authorities Jan. 17 unless action is taken to overturn "this unjust result."

"This is not the message that our legal system should be giving to the drug cartels that are smuggling drugs, people and terrorists across our borders," said Tancredo, author of "In Mortal Danger," a book that says the insecure border and immigration enforcement policies represent the No. 1 crisis in the U.S. today.

Meanwhile, the Federation for American Immigration Reform has launched a petition drive to get Bush to reopen the case.

The group cites a statement by Rep. Jones who said: "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. This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal alien drug smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing current immigration laws."

Joe Loya, agent Ramos' father-in-law, has created a website on the case and is also encouraging Americans to write to Bush urging a pardon. He is also publicizing a fund for Ramos' family.

So far, the White House has resisted calls for reopening the investigation and dismissed questions about a pardon raised by WND White House correspondent Les Kinsolving. Even asking whether the two agents should be pardoned was "nonsensical," in the words of Bush spokesman Tony Snow.

"That's an unanswerable question, Les," said Snow earlier this week. "The president is the person who is responsible for pardons. You can tell the network, which made you ask that question, that it is nonsensical."