The Washington Times
Two former U.S. Border Patrol agents surrendered yesterday to begin prison sentences for shooting a drug-smuggling suspect in the buttocks after he assaulted one of them, dumped nearly 800 pounds of marijuana along the Rio Grande and then fled into Mexico.
Ignacio Ramos, 37, and Jose Alonso Compean, 28, said goodbye to their wives and six children -- three each -- as they turned themselves over to U.S. Marshals shortly after 1:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in El Paso, Texas, to begin 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the California Republican who has been at the forefront of efforts to have the prosecution reviewed and the agents re-tried, yesterday criticized the White House for not acting in the case.
"This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen," Mr. Rohrabacher said of President Bush. "It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders.
Posted by tyne at January 18, 2007