Wrongly Convicted Border Patrol Agents

On February 17th 2005, U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos, and Jose Alonso Compean were in pursuit of illegal alien / drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila. The smuggler exited his van, which was later found to have over 700 pounds of marijuana, and began to flee on foot.

"We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn't stop, and he just kept running, At some point during the time where I'm crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired," Ramos said. "Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler." At that point, Ramos said, Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun.

"I shot," Ramos said. "But I didn't think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn't look like he had been hit at all."

Turns out, however, Aldrete-Davil had been hit by the agents bullet. His mother contacted a friend inside the Arizona Border Patrol who contacted Department of Homeland Security's Christopher Sanchez. Sanchez went to Mexico and offered the drug smuggler total immunity to testify against the agents, as well as medical treatment in the U.S.

At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof convinced the jury that Aldrete-Davila's was un-armed. Kanof dismissed Ramos' testimony that he had seen a gun in the smugglers hand, as well as the gun shots that were heard. She also alledged that Border Patrol agents are not allowed to pursue suspects, and the agents tried to cover up the shooting by not filing reports.

"The supervisors knew that shots were fired," Said Ramos. "Since nobody was injured or hurt, we didn't file the report. That's the only thing I would've done different."

The jury came back with a guilty verdict. The sentence for discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence has an automatic 10-year sentence. The jury recommended 20 years. Ramos and Compean will be sentenced August 22nd.

"How are we supposed to follow the Border Patrol strategy of apprehending terrorists or drug smugglers if we are not supposed to pursue fleeing people?" said Ramos.

We, as citizens of the United States of America, wish to see Texas Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos, and Jose Alonso Compean cleared of all charges from the February 17th shooting of illegal alien / drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila.

We believe that the agents were acting within their authority, and trying to keep our borders secure. Please see that these agents are pardoned of the crimes they were convicted of.