Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Ramos and Compean Border Patrol Agents Are Home

Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, in 2005, shot drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila as the Mexican National attempted to flee along the Mexican border southeast of El Paso, Texas. Aldrete-Davila later attempted to bring a suit against the U.S. for violating his civil rights, but now is in prison for attempting to smuggle marijuana into the United States.

Ignacio Ramos was sentenced to 11 years for the shooting. Jose Compean was sentenced for 12 years. Originally, the border patrol agents were accused of trying to cover up evidence of the incident, and were thought to have been "out to shoot" some illegals, as well as being fully aware that Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila was unarmed. Ramos and Compean have claimed all along that they were defending themselves in the line of duty.

President Bush commuted their sentences on January 16, but failed to give them a full pardon. As a result, today, Ramos and Compean are finally home, though they remain under federal custody until March 20.

The two border patrol agents will also remain on supervised release for up to three years. Ramos' lawyer, David Botsford, said it was appropriate to commute the pair's sentence in light of the onerous conditions they experienced while incarcerated. The conditions he refers to is the regular beatings that Ramos reportedly received from fellow inmates while in the prison.

Now, home with their families, the pair of Border Patrol Agents are on a gag order until March 20.

Welcome home, Ramos and Compean.

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Below, Lou Dobbs on Mexico's meddling, and response to Bush commuting the sentences.

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