Ignacio Ramos
Ignacio Ramos is a former
Border incident and prosecution
Ramos was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 11 years and one day in prison for shooting a then-unknown Mexican National in the buttocks,
Homeland Security and Justice Department involvement
Congressmen
According to writer Jerome Corsi, the prosecution was initiated at the behest of the Mexican government. Some commentators have questioned Corsi's conclusions.[8]
Reactions
Aldrete Dávila has filed a $5 million
A petition for the pardon of the border agents received nearly 240,000 signatures.
On 6 February 2007 Representative Tom Tancredo and Ramos' relatives reported to the Associated Press that Ramos had been beaten by fellow inmates in prison. His wife Mrs. Monica Ramos told the AP that he had "let his guard down" and been stomped and kicked for several minutes.[11]
On April 23, 2007 the border patrol union released a no-confidence resolution against Chief David V. Aguilar for his failure to back up Ramos during the case.[12] The union had also made a rebuttal responding to United States Attorney Sutton's reasons why convicting the agents was justified.[13]
The Senate Judiciary Committee examined the prosecution in July 2007 after which Senator Dianne Feinstein asked President Bush to commute the sentences.[14]
Legal appeal
On September 25, 2007 a legal appeal concerning the conviction of Ramos and Compean was filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and in December 2007, the case was heard. Judge E. Grady Jolly stated, "It does seem to me that the government overreacted here,... If the agents had reported the shooting as required, "this prosecution never would have occurred, in all likelihood." For over the next 6-months nothing more was reported. Then, on July 28, 2008, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the appeals of both Ramos and Compean.[15]
Commutation
On January 19, 2009, President Bush commuted the sentences of both Ramos and Compean, effectively ending their prison term on March 20, 2009.[16] The commutation was condemned by Mexico's Deputy Secretary for Foreign Relations Carlos Rico.[16]
Petition for pardon
Although Bush commuted the two men's sentences, he did not grant them a full pardon, thus leaving Compean and Ramos with criminal records that made it hard for them to find jobs.[17] On December 22, 2020, President Donald Trump issued full pardons for both men,[3] citing the congressional support and Bush's commutation, among other reasons.
See also
References
- ^ a b Seper, Jerry (2006-08-23). "Lawmakers seek review of border agent case". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
- ^ Breaking News: Former El Paso Border Patrol Agents Released From Prison
- ^ National Archives.
- ^ Gilot, Louis (2006-10-20). "Sentence handed to border agents; free until Jan. 17". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 2006-11-02. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
- ^ [1] Statement of US Attorney Johnny Sutton Regarding the Prosecution of Border Patrol Agents Compean and Ramos
- Los Angeles Newspaper Group. Archived from the originalon 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ CNN Transcript from 2/8/2006 accessed 2/19/2006
- ^ The Case of Ramos and Compean
- ^ Meritz, Darren (2007-01-14). "Vigil supports convicted ex-border agents". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2007-01-19.[permanent dead link]
- Los Angeles Newspaper Group. Archived from the originalon 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2007-01-19.
- ^ Caldwell, Alicia (2007-02-06). "Ex-Border Agent Said Beaten in Prison". Associated Press.
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,267920,00.html Border Patrol Union Votes No Confidence in Agency Chief
- ^ "Rebuttal to Sutton" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-04. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
- ^ McKenna, Brendan (2008-04-23). "Clemency sought for agents who shot smuggler". Dallas Morning News.
- ^ U.S. Court of Appeals 5th District docket 06-51489
- ^ a b Riechmann, Deb. "Bush commutes prison sentences of 2 former US border agents" Archived 2009-01-23 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, January 19, 2009.
- ^ "Rep. Hunter asks Trump to pardon border patrol agents who covered up their shooting of drug smuggler - The San Diego Union-Tribune". 27 September 2017.
Sources
- Transcript of the Sentencing: United States vs Ignacio Ramos
- Transcript of the Verdict: US vs Ignacio Ramos
- Link to access pretrial matters and trial transcripts: US vs Ignacio Ramos
External links
- Joe Loya Interview on A Citizen's Voice (www.acitizensvoice.com)
- Department of Homeland Security - OIG trial report
- U.S. Attorney's Office - Western District Of Texas
- Ignacio Ramos Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine at the Federal Bureau of Prisons
- FREE Border Patrol agent "Nacho" Ignacio Ramos
- Pardon Border Agents Ramos and Compean
- Monica Ramos Blog Archived 2007-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
- McCarthy, Andrew C. (2007-01-29). "The Border-Patrol Two Deserve Jail". National Review Online. Archived from the original on 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- Sutton, Johnny (2007-01-17). "Myth vs. Reality - The Facts of Why The Government Prosecuted Agents Compean and Ramos" (PDF). Department of Justice. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- National Border Patrol Council's rebuttal to Johnny Sutton's "Myth vs. Reality - The Facts of Why The Government Prosecuted Agents Compean and Ramos"
- Monica Ramos talks about prison attack
- [2]