Tammy Bruce: Ramos and Compean Drug Smuggler Pleads Guilty

Ramos and Compean Drug Smuggler Pleads Guilty

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos embraced his wife, Monica Ramos, two days before he was sentenced to 11 years in prison (El Paso Times)

This broke a few days ago but obviously worth noting. The drug smuggler our border agents, Ramos and Compean, who were tried and imprisoned for trying to stop, has plead guilty to multiple drug charges.

Drug Smuggler in Border Agents Saga Pleads Guilty

The Mexican national who was the star witness in a controversial prosecution that resulted in the sentencing of two Border Patrol agents to more than a decade in prison pleaded guilty to multiple drug charges in federal court Thursday.

On Feb. 17, 2005, Osvaldo Aldrete Davila attempted to smuggle more than 700 pounds of marijuana into the United States along the Texas-Mexico border, in the small town of Fabens, Texas. As he tried to flee arrest on foot, two Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, shot at him. Ramos's bullet hit Davila in the buttocks.

The incident gained national attention when U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton with the Western District of Texas worked out an immunity deal for Davila if he would return to the United States and testify against Ramos and Compean...

Davila was arrested and indicted last November based on two other drug deals from 2005, and he has pleaded guilty to those crimes. Those crimes, in which he tried to bring illegal drugs into the country in September and October 2005, occurred after he was given immunity for the initial drug bust in February 2005, when he was shot.

Davila was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Davila brought those two loads into the United States during a time when the U.S. Justice Department had given him six unconditional border-crossing cards.

But thank goodness we've got those two pesky border guards in prison. But there is continued action on their behalf. Here's news from today as covered by the Dallas Morning News.

Clemency sought for Border Patrol agents who shot smuggler

Sen. John Cornyn is again calling for presidential clemency in the case of two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler.

The Texas Republican, joined by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., sent a letter to President Bush on Monday, urging him to commute the sentences of former agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who are serving terms of 12 and 11 years.

Posted by Tammy · April 23, 2008 03:08 PM · Permalink
Border Security | Death of Right and Wrong | Justice/Judiciary