This, I think, needs to be closely investigated:

According to official documents in WND's possession, a Department of Homeland Security agent played a major role in managing the drug smuggler and conducting the field investigation in the incident that landed Border Patrol officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean in federal prison for more than a decade.

Yet, in the heavily redacted 77-page DHS report submitted to Congress Wednesday there is no explicit discussion of the role DHS Special Agent Christopher Sanchez played in the case.

Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, yesterday called for the resignation of four DHS investigators, including Assistant Inspector General Elizabeth Redman, after DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner testified under oath his deputies had lied to Congress about non-existent reports that were supposed to have established Ramos and Compean as rogue cops who wanted to "shoot some Mexicans."

WND has obtained a copy of the government-issued border pass given to Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, the drug smuggler granted immunity to testify against Ramos and Compean. The border pass allowed multiple entries to the U.S. and carried the signature and badge number of Sanchez.

The border pass appears to have been issued March 16, 2005, the day Sanchez brought Aldrete-Davila to William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, to have a bullet removed from his right thigh.

"Aldrete-Davila was issued what amounts to a 'Gold Elite' border pass," Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Friends of the Border Patrol, told WND. "With the stamp for multiple entries into the United States, Aldrete-Davila didn't have to run the back roads as a drug smuggler any more. He could tell his drug bosses in Mexico that he could drive their loads right through border crossing points without much worry."

It is an unfortunate fact of life that law enforcement agents can sometimes be corrupted by criminals. It doesn't happen too often, but it happens often enough that we have to be vigilant about it. The fact that this drug smuggling illegal alien was believed over the word of two sworn, United States law enforcement officers is odd - if this drug smuggler was really given preferential treatment - and that border pass seems extraordinary - then we certainly have cause to do a full investigation not just of this incident, but of that entire Border Patrol office to ensure that the laws are being faithfully enforced.

I am making no accusations - if the Border Patrol agents currently in jail did commit a crime (and a jury has said they did), then they had to be punished. Given that the incident in question is rather small potatos, I do believe that the punishment meted out is excessive, but that is a secondary issue right now. Without saying anything against anyone in the case, the information coming available (the heavily redacted report; the placing of the agents in general population where everyone KNOWS they would be attacked by illegals - who are often members of gangs who have people both in and out of prison to carry out orders; now these questions about the treatment of the illegal drug smuggler) indicates that we must get to the bottom of this.

There is to be Senate hearings regarding this incident, and that is good - but we, the people, have to keep tabs on this and ensure that buddy-buddy networks of people in DC don't make the investigators downplay this. We need to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Posted by Mark Noonan at February 12, 2007 03:51 PM

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Is this the transcripts that the prosecution has been slow in releasing? Because there are far too many unknowns on this case for my liking. It's a big deal here in SoCal so I've been keeping an eye on the story. I heard an interview with the prosector the other day explaining his reasons for the prosecution.

1. He said the agents destroyed evidence and cleaned up the crime scene. (Collecting spent casings and the like)
2. They didn't file proper writen paperwork.
3. They didn't make a verbal report to their superiors.
4. They shot at the drug smuggler without knowing he was a drug smuggler. (The drugs were found after the chase and shooting.)

Now if all this is true (and again I've not seen the evidence so I can't say) then yes a crime was committed. Does anyone know the usual penalties for these crimes?

Posted by: Gozer at February 12, 2007 04:12 PM

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if the Border Patrol agents currently in jail did commit a crime (and a jury has said they did), then they had to be punished. Given that the incident in question is rather small potatos, I do believe that the punishment meted out is excessive, but that is a secondary issue right now.

Really, Mark? Just which part of this case do you consider "small potatoes"? The part where two federal agents opened fire on an unarmed man? Yeah, he was fleeing arrest, but there are very specific instances where that's allowed. The part where they picked up their shell casings and lied to their superiors about the incident?

I'm not saying they should have been anywhere near General Population - that's an incredible screw-up by the prison. Nor am I saying the case doesn't stink highly on both sides - the sweetheart deal given to the perp was ridiculous. But people given increased power & authority MUST be held to higher standards. They were convicted of gunning down a fleeing suspect and then covering it up. To call that "small potatoes" is frighteningly dehumanizing.

Posted by: legion at February 12, 2007 04:30 PM

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Unfortunately, it is also true that law enforcement agents are sometimes pawns in the designs of higher-ups, or politicians.

I'm just sayin'...

Posted by: PM at February 12, 2007 06:47 PM

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