With less than 24 hours left in his presidency, George W. Bush at last granted clemency to two former Border Patrol agents, Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos. The two had received lengthy prison sentences after being convicted of shooting a fleeing Mexican drug dealer.Clemency for the two former agents was a major goal of USBC and attracted considerable support among all advocates of tougher border security, who had repeatedly argued that the agents were just doing their jobs.
A large number of senators and representatives, both Republicans and Democrats, had supported clemency for the two men. A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2007 emphasized that the drug dealer had crossed the United States-Mexican border illegally and drove a van containing 743 pounds of marijuana worth almost $1 million.
The commutation granted by President Bush means the prison sentences of Ramos and Compean, both from El Paso, Texas, will expire on March 20, but leaves intact the three years of post-imprisonment probation and fines of $2,000 each. Both had been in prison since early 2007. Much of that time was spent in solitary confinement, which was said necessary to protect the former law enforcement agents from other inmates.
Bush commuted the sentences before he received a recommendation from the Justice Department's pardon attorney. "The Office of the Pardon Attorney was still in the process of reviewing the clemency requests from Compean and Ramos at the time these commutations were granted," a Justice official says.
In fact, the Justice Department was still reviewing the applications and had not made a recommendation to the White House.
24 comments:
Dios De Bendiga para dos hombres, y gracias por tu trabajo excellente!
I Thank God for your victory, and pray that His grace will help you to rebuild your lives...
http://larrywiseman.blogspot.com
This is b.s.,these guys should have received not only a full pardon from the president but pay and half for the time they spent in jail. I'am thankful that Ramos and Compean were freed,but I feel they were still denied justice.
@Uburalus07 - right on. total BS.
I am glad that they will finally be freed. I am, however, disappointed that they were not granted a full pardon. That is BS. They should have received a full pardon.
Congratulations to both your families and thank you President Bush. I really hoped this would have happened at Christmas but we'll take it right?! I sent my share of emails and phone calls in the hope it would help a little and I guess every little bit helps. I'm sure there is a much deeper tale to tell (hello book deal) and now you all will get the chance. God Bless ALL of our Border Patrol agents and have a happy reunion for both families.
I did not think this would happen. I am glad because these guys are innocent. It is hard to deal with an inmate you know is innocent....
I guess that means that any border patrol or law enforcement can shoot any mexican or colored person and try to cover it up
Thank God Bush did it. I was afraid that joke of a President did not have the guts to do the right thing by these men.
Does anyone know how we can contact Ramos or Compean's families to help them out financially?
They shouldn't have to continue to be on probation, house arrest or pay any fines after what they've been through!
They should have received FULL PARDONS and should receive FULL PAY for every hour they were in jail. They should also receive their jobs back if they want them. This was a TOTAL INJUSTICE of the JUSTICE SYSTEM. Sounds to me that Johnny Sutton and the Judge that sentenced them actually work for the mexican drug cartell and should take their place in jail. As for the guy "yousuck" your comment is so wrong - Border Patrol Agents should be able to shoot first and ask questions later when someone is running from them. Especially lowlife drug dealers! My Best goes out to Ramos and Compean and their families and hope someday Justice will be delivered to both of you in the form of a TOTAL PARDON which you both deserve.
God bless & good luck!
I have just sent an email to the Obama White House, asking our new president to pardon and immediately release these two protectors of the United States. That other president's action was inadequate.
To GOD ALL glory BE!
For HE has now SET FREE
Dear Nacho and Jose
From CRUEL CAPTIVITY!!!
Addresses for donations to agents' families:
For the family of Agent Nacho Ramos:
Ignacio Ramos OR Monica Ramos
PO Box 972925
El Paso, TX 79997
For the family of Agent Jose Compean:
Jose Compean OR Patty Compean
CO/Ed Hendee
KSEV Radio
11351 Katy Freeway
Suite 215
Houston, TX 77079
I would have preferred a full pardon for the brave men who put their lives on the line to protect our borders from criminals who cross illegally. What happened to them is so wrong! I'm happy they are at least out so that they can join their families but it really is not enough. Their lives are changed forever. It's just not fair but at least they can go home.
YouSuck said..."I guess that means that any border patrol or law enforcement can shoot any mexican or colored person and try to cover it up"
Yeah, that's exactly what it means. I guess we now know who truly sucks, YouSuck.
What you wrote is especially funny considering the ethnicity of the two border patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean.
I guess you've also conveniently forgotten the time they've spent in jail, as well as the damage to their careers and their finances. Most importantly, you are ignoring the actions of the "mexican or colored person" they shot, too. Hint: He was not an innocent victim.
I guess you've also conveniently forgotten the time they've spent in jail, as well as the damage to their careers and their finances.
"If you can't afford do the time, don't do the crime."
To Dear Mr. Ken "hasn't a clue" Prescuntt, They committed NO CRIME and should never have been arrested in the first place. They were doing their jobs but because of punks like you they were set up.
To Dear Mr. Ken "hasn't a clue" Prescuntt
Thank you for the gratuitous abuse; it says far more about your physical, mental, and moral defects than it ever could say about me.
They committed NO CRIME
Actually, they did. Destruction of evidence, all by itself, is a crime. It also serves as evidence of criminal intent with respect to the actions of Ramos and Compean.
and should never have been arrested in the first place.
So, what's your take on Lon Horiuchi? Do you support him as fervently as you do Ramos and Compean? If not . . . why not?
They were doing their jobs
Their jobs included giving their employers--who are me, thee, and every other American--a full and honest accounting of their actions. They went out of their way to not give us that accounting.
but because of punks like you they were set up.
Please explain how "they were set up" by anyone besides themselves. I'm not following your logic.
Prescott, your logic is warped. Horiuchi's shooting an unarmed mother's jaw off of her head isn't comparable to an armed drug dealer being shot in the butt. As far as concealing evidence, the border agents informed their superior about what had occured. How is informing your superior a cover-up? Get a brain.
Easy Mr.C - I think Prescott had a frontal lobotomy and they took out toooooo much.
Thank You Former President George W. Bush for commuting the Excessive Prison sentences of Ramos and Compean.
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