What’s Taking So Long?

(Washington D.C.)- Congressman Brian Bilbray is calling on President Bush and the U.S. Attorney General to provide a full accounting of what led to the release three weeks ago of a Mexican national suspected of running over and killing U.S. Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar in January.

The suspect, Jesus Navarro Montes, was reportedly released from a Mexicali jail on June 18, 2008, by Mexicali Federal Judge Laura Serrano Alderete. According to Mexican authorities, Navarro was freed after being cleared of an unrelated migrant smuggling charge, and because the United States apparently did not seek extradition or issue an arrest warrant.

Bilbray, who chairs the Immigration Reform Caucus, sent a letter today to President Bush and Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey seeking an explanation and an accounting of what, if any, communication transpired between U.S. and Mexican authorities. Specifically, Bilbray is asking whether the Department of Justice sought extradition, and if so, when?  If it didn’t, he wants to know why?

“We understand there is an ongoing investigation; however, the information we are seeking should be publicly available as we are looking into the process of investigation and communication with the Mexican authorities,” Bilbray stated in the letter, which was co-signed by 36 members of the House of Representatives.

“It’s been three weeks now since Navarro was released from jail,” said Bilbray today.  “The Aguilar family deserves answers, and the Administration should provide them in the most transparent way.”

A spokesman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. stated publicly that the U.S. government has not issued an arrest warrant, provided evidence or contacted Mexican authorities regarding extradition either formally or informally.  Mexican officials maintain that the mistake was made on the U.S. side of the border.

Agent Aguilar, 32, was run down on January 19, 2008, while deploying a spike strip near along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area near Andrade, California.  He was attempting to disable a pair of fleeing vehicles that were being driven by suspected smugglers. One of the vehicles, a Hummer, drove over Agent Aguilar and then crossed back into Mexico.  It is believed that Navarro was driving the Hummer. 

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