Rep. Miller Urges President Bush to Release Jailed Border Agents
Contact: Audra Miller
Contact Phone: (202)225-2106
Contact Email: audra.miller@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today signed a letter to President George W. Bush asking that he pardon border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Ramos and Compean were prosecuted for their actions in attempting to apprehend a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across our border. They were sentenced to 11 and 12 years for wounding the drug smuggler on the United States border with Mexico in 2005. Miller released the following statement:
“It is time for these men to come home,” Miller said. “They should be released for time served after six months. The conviction of these border agents rested on testimony from a known drug smuggler. It is outrageous that the drug criminal was given immunity by the Department of Justice in order to testify against the two law enforcement officers that were trying to stop his illegal activities. It is time the President let Agents Ramos and Compean go home to their families.”
Here is a reminder of what happened:
In February 17, 2005, Ramos and Compean were patrolling the border town of Fabens, Texas, when a Mexican illegal alien and drug smuggler, attempted to secret nearly 800 pounds of marijuana into the United States in his van. Agent Compean chased Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila by vehicle and on foot, ordering him to stop. Compean says Aldrete-Davila ignored him, pushed him down, and assaulted him, whereupon the agent called for backup, drawing seven additional units, including Ramos. When he arrived on the scene, he heard gunfire, saw Compean bleeding on the ground, and the fugitive – still refusing to stop as commanded – stealing furtive glances over his shoulder while holding something shiny he believed to be a handgun. Both state they felt threatened, and both fired rounds in the alien’s direction, Ramos striking him in the buttocks. The alien got away, but the two men had jeopardized their own well-being to keep his noxious contraband off our streets.
Returning to Mexico, Aldrete-Davila related his misfortunes to his mother, who contacted the mother-in-law of Border Patrol agent Rene Sanchez. Sanchez in turn tipped off a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who went to Mexico to offer immunity if Osbaldo would act as a state’s witness against Ramos and Compean: the feds wanted to prosecute the agents shooting the alien narcotics supplier.
To sweeten the immunity deal, the feds paid for Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila’s medical treatment of his ailing backside – a taxpayer-funded recuperation at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. He showed his gratitude by breaking his immunity agreement in October 2005, when officers say he attempted to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into America. The prosecution further extended its immunity to this felony and sealed the indictment from jurors. Aldrete-Davila repaid this new shower of grace by suing the federal government for $5 million, alleging the shooting violated his civil rights. However, he agreed to help in their criminal prosecution, as well, and the feds are apparently happy to collaborate with the pusher as long as he helped put effective lawmen behind bars.
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