Ignacio Ramos

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name = Ignacio Ramos
residence = Federal Correctional Institution, Phoenix, Arizona
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occupation =Former Border Patrol Agent
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Ignacio Ramos is a former United States Border Patrol Agent, who shot an unarmed illegal alien and drug smuggler on the United States–Mexico border. He was convicted of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and a civil rights violation. [cite news | last = Seper | first = Jerry | title = Lawmakers seek review of border agent case | publisher = The Washington Times | date = 2006-08-23 | url = http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060823-122228-3575r.htm | accessdate = 2006-12-14]

Border incident and prosecution

Ramos was sentenced to 11 years and one day in prison for shooting and wounding Osvaldo Aldrete Dávila near the Fabens settlement of unincorporated El Paso County, Texas, at about 1 PM on February 17, 2005. Fellow agent Jose Compean was sentenced to 12 years. [cite news | last = Gilot | first = Louis | title = Sentence handed to border agents; free until Jan. 17 | publisher = El Paso Times | date = 2006-10-20 | url = http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_4519632 | accessdate = 2006-12-14 ] Aldrete Dávila had been found with nearly 800 pounds of marijuana in the back of his van. Following the incident, Aldrete Dávila was granted a temporary conditional visitors visa in exchange for giving his testimony against Ramos and Compean. Ramos and his partner were incarcerated January 17, 2007. [cite news | last = Carter
first = Sara A. | title = Border Patrol agents start sentence | work = San Bernardino Sun | publisher = Los Angeles Newspaper Group | date = 2007-01-18 | url = http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_5035488 | accessdate = 2007-01-19 ] Aldrete Dávila was later arrested for continuing to haul drugs across the border after the incident.

Homeland Security and Justice Department involvement

Congressmen Ted Poe and John Culberson indicated that the Department of Homeland Security lied to them about the case when it indicated that it had evidence that the agents "plotted and conspired that day to go out and shoot" Mexicans. Richard Skinner, Inspector General of DHS, apologized to the congressmen for misleading them. [ [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/08/ldt.01.html CNN Transcript from 2/8/2006] accessed 2/19/2006]

According to Jerome Corsi, nativist and protectionist author of conspiracy theories, the prosecution was initiated at the behest of the Mexican government. This has since been disproved and debunked as pure fantasy. [ [http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/09/04/ramos_compean/index1.html The Case of Ramos and Compean] ]

Reactions

Aldrete Dávila has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the U.S. government, claiming that his civil rights were violated. [cite news | last = Seper | first = Jerry | title = Lawmakers seek review of border agent case | publisher = The Washington Times | date = 2006-08-23 | url = http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060823-122228-3575r.htm | accessdate = 2006-12-14] Published court documents have revealed that Aldrete Dávila was implicated in the smuggling of another load of marijuana into the U.S. a mere four months before the trial. This information was presented to the defense attorneys and the United States federal district judge and the court ruled it was inadmissable at the time of trial.

A petition for the pardon of the border agents received nearly 240,000 signatures. [cite news | last = Meritz | first = Darren | title =Vigil supports convicted ex-border agents | work = El Paso Times | date = 2007-01-14 | url = http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_5011117 | accessdate = 2007-01-19 ] On January 18, 2007, President George W. Bush agreed to review the case, and Representative Duncan Hunter introduced a bill, titled the Ramos and Compean Act, that would pardon the two agents, though the United States Constitution does not grant Congress the authority to issue pardons. [cite news | last = Carter | first = Sara A. | title = Bush will review border agents' court case | work = Inland Valley Daily Bulletin | publisher = Los Angeles Newspaper Group | date = 2007-01-19 | url = http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_5042815 | accessdate = 2007-01-19 ]

On 6 February 2007 Representative Tom Tancredo and Ramos' relatives reported to the Associated Press that Ramos had been beaten by fellow inmates in prison. His wife Mrs. Monica Ramos told the AP that he had "let his guard down" and been stomped and kicked for several minutes. [cite news |first=Alicia |last=Caldwell |title=Ex-Border Agent Said Beaten in Prison |url=http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/06/D8N4E48O0.html |work=Associated Press |publisher=Breitbart.com |date=2007-02-06 |accessdate=2007-02-06 ]

On April 23, 2007 the border patrol union released a no-confidence resolution against Chief David V. Aguilar for his failure to back up Ramos during the case. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,267920,00.html Border Patrol Union Votes No Confidence in Agency Chief] The union had also made a rebuttal responding to Sutton's reasons why convicting the agents was justified. [ [http://rohrabacher.house.gov/UploadedFiles/NBPC%20rebuttal_to_sutton.pdf Rebuttal to Sutton] ]

Legal appeal

On September 25, 2007 a legal appeal concerning the conviction of Ramos and Compean was filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. On July 28 2008 the Fifth Circuit court of appeals rejected the appeals of both Ramos and Compean.Fact|date=September 2008

References

References to legal transcripts

* [http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/Compean-Ramos/Volume%2018.pdf Transcript of the Sentencing: United States vs Ignacio Ramos]
* [http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/Compean-Ramos/Volume%2017.pdf Transcript of the Verdict: US vs Ignacio Ramos]
* [http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/Compean-Ramos/ Link to access pretrial matters and trial transcripts: US vs Ignacio Ramos]

External links

* [http://podcast.acitizensvoice.com/ Joe Loya Interview on A Citizen's Voice (www.acitizensvoice.com)]
* [http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/assets/OIG_foia_RamosCompean.pdf Department of Homeland Security - OIG trial report]
* [http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/index.html U.S. Attorney's Office - Western District Of Texas]
* [http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&LastName=Ramos&Middle=&FirstName=Ignacio&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=38&x=0&y=0 Ignacio Ramos] at the Federal Bureau of Prisons
* [http://agentramos.com FREE Border Patrol agent "Nacho" Ignacio Ramos]
* [http://grassfire.org/142/petition.asp Pardon Border Agents Ramos and Compean]
* [http://firesociety.com/blog/139 Monica Ramos Blog]
*cite web |url=http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTQ4OWJjZTNmODMwNzhlMzA2MzZhYzJmYWM2NjBkYzI= |title=The Border-Patrol Two Deserve Jail |accessdate=2007-01-30 |last=McCarthy |first=Andrew C. |authorlink=Andrew C. McCarthy |date=2007-01-29 |work=National Review Online
*cite web |url=http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/2007/Compean_Ramos_factsheet1.pdf |title=Myth vs. Reality - The Facts of Why The Government Prosecuted Agents Compean and Ramos |accessdate=2007-01-30 |last=Sutton |first=Johnny |date=2007-01-17 |format=PDF |work= |publisher=Department of Justice
* [http://rohrabacher.house.gov/UploadedFiles/NBPC%20rebuttal_to_sutton.pdf National Border Patrol Council's rebuttal to Johnny Sutton's "Myth vs. Reality - The Facts of Why The Government Prosecuted Agents Compean and Ramos"]
* [http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/10947798/detail.html Monica Ramos talks about prison attack]