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Administration not willing to pardon convicted Border Patrol agents
By Chad Groening and Jenni Parker
AgapePress
March 8, 2007
(AgapePress) -- Author and investigative journalist Jerome Corsi says he believes two former U.S. Border Patrol agents will remain in jail for a while because the Bush administration apparently does not want to anger the Mexican government. The two men were convicted in the shooting of an illegal alien drug smuggler; however, a number of congressional leaders believe they were victims of a witch hunt.
The conviction of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean was based largely on the testimony of the illegal alien smuggler himself -- Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, who was given complete immunity to testify against them. The two former Border Patrol agents were sentenced to 132 months and 144 months in federal prison, respectively, on charges associated with the February 2005 shooting of Aldrete-Davila near the U.S.-Mexican border in Fabens, Texas.
An El Paso jury convicted Ramos and Compean of assault with serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and a civil rights charge. They two men were also convicted of four counts and two counts, respectively, of obstruction of justice. The ex-officers are serving their 11- and 12-year sentences in federal prison; meanwhile, Aldrete-Davila is now suing the U.S. government for $5 million.
Dr. Jerome Corsi, who has done an extensive investigation on the case, believes the Bush administration has no intention of pardoning Ramos and Compean, despite a petition signed by more than 80 members of Congress calling for their release. "I think Ramos and Compean are going to be in jail for a while longer," the investigative journalist says. "The White House is dug in on this issue."
Also, the Mexican Consul has intervened in the case and in others and demanded that the Border Patrol agents be prosecuted, Corsi contends. The author says he agrees with what Texas Congressman Ted Poe told him -- that is, that "it looks like, under the Bush administration, our Department of Justice is working for the Mexican government."
However, there are a number of irregularities in the case, Corsi notes, which cause him to believe the two agents should not have been found guilty. He believes the Bush administration gave Aldrete-Davila complete immunity to testify against the agents in order to appease the Mexican government.
Corsi says when Mexican Consulate officials "got hold of Davila, they said [to the White House], 'Two of your Border [Patrol] agents wounded him; we want them prosecuted.'" And that, the journalist contends, is apparently when "the Bush White House snapped to attention and said 'Yes, sir' to Mexico and began the process of opening up a case against Ramos and Compean."
It was at that time that U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton opened a file on the case, Corsi says; and "that's when the Department of Homeland Security file opened." For that reason, he says, one can see how Congressman Poe could say that the Bush administration almost seems to be working for Mexico.
So, despite congressional pressure, Ramos and Compean are likely going to remain in jail a while longer, Corsi says. However, he notes that another former Border Patrol agent who was prosecuted under similar circumstances has since had his conviction overturned.
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