I have only heard about this issue on the periphary, mostly from listening to Neal Boortz, but, apparently, two border agents have been sentenced to jail for doing their jobs! (Hat tip Ogre)
Two U.S. Border Patrol agents were watching the Mexican boundary last year when they stopped a van carrying 743 pounds of marijuana. The driver fled back across the Rio Grande — with a gunshot wound in his buttocks.
Federal prosecutors convinced a jury in March that the agents had shot a defenseless man, then schemed to cover it up. Much of the evidence against them came from the drug runner, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, who reported the shooting to a friend at the Border Patrol in Arizona. Aldrete-Davila was given immunity from prosecution by the U.S. attorney's office.
On Thursday, the agents — Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean — were sentenced to 11 years and 12 years, respectively, for offenses that included violating the smuggler's civil rights. Outraged supporters and anguished family members packed the courtroom, and many wept as the sentences were announced.
Got that? In the midst of their duties. Violating the civil rights of a drug smuggler. Need I get in to how bad this is?
Ogre has written what President Bush should say as he issues a pardon. Raven feels the same way. Like he says, it won't really happen. Well, I suggest that everyone out there email the White House ([email protected]). Email VP Dick Cheney ([email protected]). Let them know your thoughts. I did.
Linked to: Blue Star Chronicles, Stop The ACLU, MacBros' Place, Comedian Jenee, The World According to Carl, Woman Honor Thyself, Madman Returns, The Crazy Rants Of Samantha Burns, Cao's Blog, TMH's Bacon Bits, Basil's Blog.
I’m utterly flabbergasted here — I posted on it myself — that the same President who flew secretly to Iraq to help feed the troops a holiday dinner so easily allows a couple of brave and dedicated federal agents protecting our borders and our homeland security to be railroaded into prison while the dirtbag they interdicted, despite his having been here illegally AND in the act of smuggling drugs gets immunity, free medical treatment, government help in filing a lawsuit AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT (meaning We, the Taxpayer) and, for all we know, perhaps the loan of Monica Lewinsky.
Bush needs to step up and do the right thing on this.