What Is Our Government Hiding In The Prosecution of Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean?
Dave Gibson
July 22, 2008
The government watchdog group known as Judicial Watch recently filed a lawsuit against the U.S. State Department, for that agency´s failure to turn over certain documents related to the prosecution of Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean.
The suit comes after the government refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request for documents which detailed the agreement made between the governments of Mexico and the United States, which allowed drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila to return to this country to actually testify against Ramos and Compean.
The FOIA request was filed by Judicial Watch on April 17, 2008. The government failed to respond within their own guidelines of 20 days, nor have they since.
The drug smuggler (Aldrete-Davila) was given immunity from prosecution, free medical care at a U.S. Army hospital, as well as free access back and forth across the U.S.-Mexican border. During this time, he used that access to bring at least one more load of drugs across the border.
It has been over 550 days since Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean entered federal prison for their attempt to apprehend a Mexican drug smuggler. Agents Ramos and Compean are serving 11 and 12 year sentences respectively.
About a month after being imprisoned, Agent Ignacio Ramos was severely beaten by five illegal alien inmates. Though Johnny Sutton promised that Agent Ramos would not be placed into the general population, that is exactly what happened, leaving Agent Ramos vulnerable to brutal attacks from the very people he once locked up. It is no secret what happens to law enforcement officers when sent to prison, many end up dead…Is that what the Bush administration wants for this very brave and very popular agent?
Upon examination of the facts, it is obvious that these agents were targeted by the Bush administration. It would seem that the unprecedented prosecution of Agents Ramos and Compean is to serve as an example to all Border Patrol Agents...Stop Mexican drug dealers and your life will be ruined!
Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) who delivered a citizens' petition with 225,000 signatures asking for a pardon on behalf of the agents, said: "Based on my experience as a former judge, I have looked at this case and our federal government was on the wrong side."
After their conviction, Judge Kathleen Cardone refused to allow Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean free on bond pending an appeal. This move is highly unusual when law enforcement officers are prosecuted. Judge Cardone just happens to be a Bush appointee.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton has made much of the fact that Agents Ramos and Compean failed to report firing a weapon. While Ramos and Compean failed to report the shooting, they were not alone. There were several other agents in the vicinity who heard the shot and knew that Agent Compean had been assaulted by the smuggler. All of the agents failed to report the shooting.
However, failing to report a firearms discharge is not a crime but simply a violation of Border Patrol policy. The violation is handled on an in-house basis and usually results in a five day suspension with no loss of rank or benefits. The violation is becoming a fairly common occurrence, as the violence along the border increases.
While the U.S. Justice Department has prosecuted Agents Ramos and Compean, the FBI never investigated the incident. It is actually the Border Patrol itself which is responsible for the charges against these men.
I have spoken with Ramos´ father-in-law Joe Loya at great length and he informed me that though Compean's supervisor (Agent Jonathan Richards) was told in the field that Compean had been assaulted, he did not bother to check on him until sometime later. Richards eventually did talk to Compean back at the station house and asked Compean if he wanted to file assault charges against the drug smuggler. Agent Compean said that he did not know the identity of the smuggler and Supervisor Richards agreed that it would be a very complicated and lengthy process to file any charges. The FBI was never informed of the assault on a federal law enforcement official.
The van driven by the smuggler was left behind along with 743 pounds of marijuana. A few months later, he was caught once again smuggling drugs into this country. While in custody, he was given immunity from prosecution in both cases in exchange for his testimony against Agents Ramos and Compean. In addition to immunity, the taxpayers assisted him with travel expenses and provided him with medical treatment at a U.S. Army facility in Texas. Once Aldrete-Davilla testified and completed his medical treatments, he promptly filed a $5 million lawsuit against the U.S. Border Patrol for violating his rights.
Aldrete-Davilla admitted that he has been smuggling drugs into the United States since he was fourteen years old.
Incredibly, once charges had been filed against Agents Ramos and Compean, these agents were not allowed to turn themselves over to authorities (a courtesy readily given to many drug dealers). No, these two veteran officers were arrested by SWAT teams!
The agents were offered a plea bargain several times by prosecutor Debra Kanoff. However, anxious to prove their innocence and still confident that this nonsense would soon end, the two always refused any offer of a deal. In addition to pleading guilty to lesser charges, the agents would have had to repay $35,000 in medical costs spent on treating the drug smuggler. Each time they refused to take a deal, Kanoff´s boss Johnny Sutton would pile on additional charges.
Immediately following the trial's conclusion, three jurors (Robert Gourley. Claudia Torres, Edine Woods) complained about several improprieties. They said that they had chosen 'not guilty' verdicts but were unduly intimidated by other jurors into changing their decision. They also said that they had been instructed improperly and were told that any verdict must be unanimous and a 'hung jury' was not possible in this case. All three signed sworn affidavits listing the preceding complaints.
Defense attorney Mary Stillinger presented the statements to Judge Cardone and asked that the verdict be 'set aside.' Of course, the request was denied.
Shortly before Ramos and Compean reported to prison, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) held a press conference on the matter in which he put President Bush on notice. The California Congressman Said: "We're going to find out whose side you're on...the American people or the side of our enemies. If you let these two men go to jail for defending us, then we'll know you're on the side of our enemies."
Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) has been one of the men leading the fight to free Ramos and Compean. In a 2007 letter to President Bush he said: "This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing immigration laws."
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) has also signed a request for a Presidential Pardon. Congressman Poe has said: "It seems to me the U.S. government is on the wrong side of the law. The battle on the border is growing more violent everyday and our law enforcement officials need to know that they have the full support of the U.S. government in enforcing our immigration laws. It is appalling to me that our own government would give immunity to an illegal drug smuggler in their effort to prosecute these two brave young men who were simply doing their job--protecting the dignity of our borders and our country. I urge President Bush to extend a full pardon to both of these agents."
Even in our deeply divided Congress, outrage over the treatment of these two agents has reached across both sides of the aisle. Last year, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) wrote to then Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez: "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."
Agent Ignacio Ramos, is a ten year veteran of the Border Patrol as well as a U.S. Navy veteran. He has been nominated for Agent of the Year and coached T-ball and football. He has a wife and three sons.
Agent Jose Compean, is a five year veteran of the Border Patrol. He has been involved in dozens of drug busts and was wounded while trying to apprehend the drug smuggler. He has a wife and three children, his youngest was 3 months old when he began his prison sentence.
What deals were made between the United States and Mexico? How much influence does a foreign government have over the prosecution of American citizens? Has our once precious sovereignty become nothing more than a memory?
The answers to the aforementioned questions will not be offered by our government…So just what are they hiding?
The suit comes after the government refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request for documents which detailed the agreement made between the governments of Mexico and the United States, which allowed drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila to return to this country to actually testify against Ramos and Compean.
The FOIA request was filed by Judicial Watch on April 17, 2008. The government failed to respond within their own guidelines of 20 days, nor have they since.
The drug smuggler (Aldrete-Davila) was given immunity from prosecution, free medical care at a U.S. Army hospital, as well as free access back and forth across the U.S.-Mexican border. During this time, he used that access to bring at least one more load of drugs across the border.
It has been over 550 days since Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean entered federal prison for their attempt to apprehend a Mexican drug smuggler. Agents Ramos and Compean are serving 11 and 12 year sentences respectively.
About a month after being imprisoned, Agent Ignacio Ramos was severely beaten by five illegal alien inmates. Though Johnny Sutton promised that Agent Ramos would not be placed into the general population, that is exactly what happened, leaving Agent Ramos vulnerable to brutal attacks from the very people he once locked up. It is no secret what happens to law enforcement officers when sent to prison, many end up dead…Is that what the Bush administration wants for this very brave and very popular agent?
Upon examination of the facts, it is obvious that these agents were targeted by the Bush administration. It would seem that the unprecedented prosecution of Agents Ramos and Compean is to serve as an example to all Border Patrol Agents...Stop Mexican drug dealers and your life will be ruined!
Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) who delivered a citizens' petition with 225,000 signatures asking for a pardon on behalf of the agents, said: "Based on my experience as a former judge, I have looked at this case and our federal government was on the wrong side."
After their conviction, Judge Kathleen Cardone refused to allow Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean free on bond pending an appeal. This move is highly unusual when law enforcement officers are prosecuted. Judge Cardone just happens to be a Bush appointee.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton has made much of the fact that Agents Ramos and Compean failed to report firing a weapon. While Ramos and Compean failed to report the shooting, they were not alone. There were several other agents in the vicinity who heard the shot and knew that Agent Compean had been assaulted by the smuggler. All of the agents failed to report the shooting.
However, failing to report a firearms discharge is not a crime but simply a violation of Border Patrol policy. The violation is handled on an in-house basis and usually results in a five day suspension with no loss of rank or benefits. The violation is becoming a fairly common occurrence, as the violence along the border increases.
While the U.S. Justice Department has prosecuted Agents Ramos and Compean, the FBI never investigated the incident. It is actually the Border Patrol itself which is responsible for the charges against these men.
I have spoken with Ramos´ father-in-law Joe Loya at great length and he informed me that though Compean's supervisor (Agent Jonathan Richards) was told in the field that Compean had been assaulted, he did not bother to check on him until sometime later. Richards eventually did talk to Compean back at the station house and asked Compean if he wanted to file assault charges against the drug smuggler. Agent Compean said that he did not know the identity of the smuggler and Supervisor Richards agreed that it would be a very complicated and lengthy process to file any charges. The FBI was never informed of the assault on a federal law enforcement official.
The van driven by the smuggler was left behind along with 743 pounds of marijuana. A few months later, he was caught once again smuggling drugs into this country. While in custody, he was given immunity from prosecution in both cases in exchange for his testimony against Agents Ramos and Compean. In addition to immunity, the taxpayers assisted him with travel expenses and provided him with medical treatment at a U.S. Army facility in Texas. Once Aldrete-Davilla testified and completed his medical treatments, he promptly filed a $5 million lawsuit against the U.S. Border Patrol for violating his rights.
Aldrete-Davilla admitted that he has been smuggling drugs into the United States since he was fourteen years old.
Incredibly, once charges had been filed against Agents Ramos and Compean, these agents were not allowed to turn themselves over to authorities (a courtesy readily given to many drug dealers). No, these two veteran officers were arrested by SWAT teams!
The agents were offered a plea bargain several times by prosecutor Debra Kanoff. However, anxious to prove their innocence and still confident that this nonsense would soon end, the two always refused any offer of a deal. In addition to pleading guilty to lesser charges, the agents would have had to repay $35,000 in medical costs spent on treating the drug smuggler. Each time they refused to take a deal, Kanoff´s boss Johnny Sutton would pile on additional charges.
Immediately following the trial's conclusion, three jurors (Robert Gourley. Claudia Torres, Edine Woods) complained about several improprieties. They said that they had chosen 'not guilty' verdicts but were unduly intimidated by other jurors into changing their decision. They also said that they had been instructed improperly and were told that any verdict must be unanimous and a 'hung jury' was not possible in this case. All three signed sworn affidavits listing the preceding complaints.
Defense attorney Mary Stillinger presented the statements to Judge Cardone and asked that the verdict be 'set aside.' Of course, the request was denied.
Shortly before Ramos and Compean reported to prison, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) held a press conference on the matter in which he put President Bush on notice. The California Congressman Said: "We're going to find out whose side you're on...the American people or the side of our enemies. If you let these two men go to jail for defending us, then we'll know you're on the side of our enemies."
Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) has been one of the men leading the fight to free Ramos and Compean. In a 2007 letter to President Bush he said: "This demoralizing prosecution puts the rights of illegal smugglers ahead of our homeland security and undermines the critical mission of better enforcing immigration laws."
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) has also signed a request for a Presidential Pardon. Congressman Poe has said: "It seems to me the U.S. government is on the wrong side of the law. The battle on the border is growing more violent everyday and our law enforcement officials need to know that they have the full support of the U.S. government in enforcing our immigration laws. It is appalling to me that our own government would give immunity to an illegal drug smuggler in their effort to prosecute these two brave young men who were simply doing their job--protecting the dignity of our borders and our country. I urge President Bush to extend a full pardon to both of these agents."
Even in our deeply divided Congress, outrage over the treatment of these two agents has reached across both sides of the aisle. Last year, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) wrote to then Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez: "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."
Agent Ignacio Ramos, is a ten year veteran of the Border Patrol as well as a U.S. Navy veteran. He has been nominated for Agent of the Year and coached T-ball and football. He has a wife and three sons.
Agent Jose Compean, is a five year veteran of the Border Patrol. He has been involved in dozens of drug busts and was wounded while trying to apprehend the drug smuggler. He has a wife and three children, his youngest was 3 months old when he began his prison sentence.
What deals were made between the United States and Mexico? How much influence does a foreign government have over the prosecution of American citizens? Has our once precious sovereignty become nothing more than a memory?
The answers to the aforementioned questions will not be offered by our government…So just what are they hiding?
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