As Drug Smuggler Sentenced to 9 ½ Years, Bilbray Reiterates

Call for Presidential Pardon for Ramos and Compean

(Washington D.C.)- Representative Brian Bilbray, Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus, today reiterated his call for the President to pardon Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean as Osvaldo Aldrete Davila was sentenced today to 9 ½ years in prison (Ramos and Compean were sentenced to 11 and 12 years respectively) for his role in drug smuggling activities.  Davila was given immunity from an earlier drug smuggling offense by the federal government in exchange for testimony against Ramos and Compean.  As that proceeding took place, Davila continued to participate in drug smuggling operations resulting in his second conviction which he was sentenced for today – a little more than a week after a federal appeals court upheld Ramos and Compean’s lengthy sentences.

“It is astonishing that the word of a drug smuggler convicted of multiple charges would be sentenced to less time in prison than two Border Patrol agents who have spent their life guarding a perennial warzone,” Rep. Bilbray said.  “These agents and their families have endured enough, and the time is long since past for President Bush to do the right thing and pardon them without any further delay.”

Rep. Bilbray also noted the demoralizing effect that President Bush’s failure to act is having on the Border Patrol, “We ask these men and woman to put themselves at harm’s risk every single day, yet this White House is making perfectly clear they would rather stand with a convicted drug smuggler rather than support our border agents.  Considering that just yesterday, four Mexican agents crossed the Arizona border and held a Border Patrol agent at gunpoint, there couldn’t be a more important time for this White House to demonstrate its commitment to our law enforcement community,” he continued.

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