WASHINGTON – On Sept. 22, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., sent a letter to President Donald Trump to bring his attention to the pardon requests for two former Border Patrol agents, Ignacio “Nacho” Ramos, Jr. and Jose Compean, currently awaiting review at the Department of Justice in the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
Ramos and Compean were sentenced in 2006 to mandatory prison sentences of 11 and 12 years, respectively, for an incident that involved the shooting of illegal alien drug smuggler they were pursuing.
Hunter, who represents the San Diego area, explained, “The charges for which these federal officers were ultimately convicted related to an incident where multiple Border Patrol agents were in pursuit of a van that had entered the U.S. illegally in an area very well known for illicit drug smuggling activity. The driver of the van, later identified as an illegal alien named Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, continued to evade the agents and drove at a dangerous high rate of speed to a levee where he could cross back into Mexico. Agent Compean was the first to reach the van where he began pursuing Aldrete-Davila on foot. At some point a hand-to-hand struggle ensued and Aldrete-Davila managed to bring agent Compean to the ground.
“As agent Ramos approached the area, he heard shots fired but his view of the altercation was initially obscured by the landscape. Aldrete-Davila broke free and both agents fired at him because he turned back towards them before he began to run towards the border. It was later discovered that when Ramos discharged his weapon, he hit Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks. At the time of the shooting, however, it was not apparent that Aldrete-Davila had been injured as he was able to escape and run across the international border to a waiting vehicle. After the incident it was discovered that the van contained more than 740 pounds of marijuana and, despite this, Aldrete-Davila received immunity from the smuggling charges in exchange for providing testimony against agents Ramos and Compean. Aldrete-Davila was later arrested at the U.S. border for trying to again smuggle a large quantity of drugs into the U.S. and received a nine year prison sentence.”
In a press release about his request to the president, Hunter noted both Ramos and Compean were veterans of the U.S. Border Patrol with unblemished service records with Ramos previously nominated for Border Patrol Agent of the Year.
Although President Bush commuted their sentences in 2009, only gaining Ramos and Compean early release from their prison sentences, Hunter stated he believes the former Border Patrol agents “deserve every consideration for a pardon due to the circumstances of the incident” and respectfully requested Trump “instruct the Office of the Pardon Attorney to provide their cases full and fast attention.”
Anyone interested in calling the White House to express support of Hunter’s request for pardons, the number is 202-456-1111.
