Two brave U.S. Border Patrol agents are headed to prison for a combined 23 YEARS!
Their crime?
Defending our nation's southern border against illegal alien drug smugglers.
In other words, these two men are going to jail for what Congressman Tom Tancredo called, "doing their job" -- securing the border.
Here are the facts:
On February 17, Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean noticed a suspicious van near the Rio Grande.The van was being driven by illegal alien Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila -- who was smuggling 743 pounds of marijuana into the United States. When the illegal drug smuggler saw Agents Ramos and Compean, he ran for the border.
The agents heard gun shots while pursuing Davila on foot.
According to media reports, Davila at one point turned toward the pursuing agents and pointed what appeared to be a gun. The border agents fired their weapons at the fleeing illegal alien drug smuggler. Davila was hit in his buttocks -- although Compean and Ramos apparently did not know it at the time -- and Davila didn't even slow down. He jumped into a waiting van and sped off in the night.
What happened next is so unbelievable, so outrageous that it should boil the blood of every American.
As The New American put it:
"Incredibly, while agents Ramos and Compean and their families face economic ruin, emotional devastation, and real physical danger, as a result of that 15-minute chase, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila -- an admitted felon and drug smuggler -- has not only gotten off scot-free, he stands to become a rich man, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayers.
In a seemingly unbelievable turn of events, agents for the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security contacted the smuggler in Mexico and offered him complete immunity if he would testify that the Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean had violated his civil rights."
We couldn't make this up if we tried.
Johnny Sutton -- U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas -- then charged these two heroes with Causing Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Discharge of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and -- get this -- a violation of the "civil rights" of an illegal alien.
He threw the book at them.
What Happened at the Trial?
At the trial, the prosecutor dismissed Ramos's testimony that he saw "something shiny" in Davila's hand. She said Ramos "couldn't be sure it was a gun he had seen."
In other words, if it's dark and you can't be absolutely certain that the shiny thing you see pointed at you and your fellow agent is a pistol, don't fire until you get a bullet between your eyes. Then you'll know for certain it's a gun.
Also, the prosecutor said it was a violation of Border Patrol policy for agents to pursue dope dealers on the run. As she explained it:
"Agents are not allowed to pursue. In order to exceed the speed limit, you have to get supervisor approval, and they did not."
Ramos, who had a stellar 10-year record and who had been nominated for the Agent of the Year award, said in reply:
"How are we supposed to follow the Border patrol strategy of apprehending terrorists or drug smugglers if we aren't supposed to pursue fleeing people? Everybody who's breaking the law flees from us. What are we supposed to do? Do they want us to catch them or not?"
The answer to Officer Ramos's question is: "OBVIOUSLY NOT!"
And that's why criminals like Davila are crossing our borders illegally every single day.
And when two law enforcement officers try to carry out the will of the American people -- when they try to do their jobs -- they are handcuffed and hauled off to prison.
Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean deserve to be commended for their bravery and service to our country, not charged by our government for supposedly violating an illegal alien drug smuggler's "Civil Rights."
What the system has done to these agents is wicked and must be undone immediately.
What About the Jury?
Question: What about the jury? Why did all 12 jurors agree that both Border Patrol officers were guilty?Answer: They didn't!
Three jurors now say THEY DIDN'T WANT TO VOTE GUILTY and at least two more were disturbed by the verdict.
Robert Gourley, Claudia Torres, and Edine Woods say they were told the verdict HAD TO BE UNANIMOUS, which was flat-out untrue. The three signed sworn affidavits stating that they had been incorrectly instructed.
In addition, some jurors allegedly bullied other jurors, intimidating them into changing their votes.One juror said he thought that 10 years in prison for the agents was excessive punishment. "Had we had the option of a hung jury," he said, "I truly believe the outcome may have been different." Another said of the jury foreman, "I felt like he knew something about the judge that we did not know. I did not think that Mr. Ramos or Mr. Compean was guilty of the assaults and civil rights violations."
In light of these juror statements, defense attorney Mary Stillinger asked that the verdict be set aside, but the judge oddly, arbitrarily denied the motion.
What are Others Saying?
People all over the country have expressed their indignation at this sickening misuse of our judicial system, which further hamstrings and intimidates our Border Patrol.
Tom Tancredo -- Congressman, anti-illegal immigration activist, and author of In Mortal Danger -- said: "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."Andy Ramirez, of the non-profit Friends of the Border Patrol, said: "This is the greatest miscarriage of justice I have ever seen. This drug smuggler has fully contributed to the destruction of two brave agents and their families and has sent a very loud message to the other Border Patrol agents: If you confront a smuggler, this is what will happen to you." [Emphasis Mine]
Twelve members of Congress have already sent a letter to President Bush, in which they said in part: "We ask that a full investigation of this case be ordered immediately. 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."
These expressions of outrage and anguish underline the monumental importance of this case.
The drug cartels, gangs, and even terrorists seeking to exploit our nation's open borders have just seen the light turn green. The Border Patrol has been stripped naked. It can't fire a gun without risking more than ten years in prison. It can't violate the speed limit without saying, "Mother, may I?" And if it detains an illegal alien dealing drugs, it may be violating his civil rights.
If you think illegal immigration is a problem, wait till you see what happens after Compean and Ramos are hauled off to prison in chains.
And what about Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila?
He'll be back. (He's probably back already): selling drugs to America's children and grandchildren, thumbing his nose at Homeland Security -- a hero to all his drug smuggling and criminal friends back home, where he is hailed as the smuggler who disarmed the U.S. Border Patrol.
And next time he'll bring more just like him -- all of them gleefully gloating over the knowledge that this country doesn't have the will to close its own borders.
The U.S. is Sending the Wrong Message to our Border Patrol
Retired Border Patrol Supervisor David Stoddard -- a Border Patrol veteran of 27 years -- said of Ramos' and Compean's situation, "This is outrageous. This whole incident tells the Border Patrol agents all over the country it's better to go out to their areas of responsibility and bring a portable DVD player and watch a movie, because that way you won't get into trouble."
In fact, this situation has destroyed the morale of our Border Patrol agents. According to one source, "A lot of agents are now saying, 'We don't want to be the next Ramos and Compean.'"
If President Bush pardons officers Compean and Ramos, he will be sending a strong message that America is committed to securing our borders -- that our brave border patrol agents can do their jobs without fear of prosecution by our own government.If he signs these pardons, it will infuse the Border Patrol with a new sense of pride and purpose. They will know the President of the United States stands behind them with all the awesome power of his office.
It's an outrage that Agents Ramos and Compean will be locked up next to the same brand of criminals, thugs, and gang members that they dedicated their lives to putting behind bars.
And it's an even bigger outrage that they are convicted and jailed... while our government is trying to grant AMNESTY to as many as 12 million illegals currently living and working in our country.
Let's flood the White House with faxes demanding a pardon of these two Border Patrol Agents.
Let's demand that our Congressional leaders, who talk a big game about border security, use their influence to urge to President to exercise his pardon power.
Use the hyperlink below to send your 30 urgent and personalized Blast Fax Messages to President Bush and the leaders of the House and the Senate.
Tell them TODAY that the President MUST use his power of presidential pardon, as granted by the United States Constitution in Article II, Section 2, to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean! The American people will not tolerate the imprisonment of two brave border patrol agents who did nothing more than pursue an enemy of their country.
This terrible wrong must be righted.
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Yours In Freedom,
Jeff MazzellaPresident
www.cfif.org
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