Who's Watching the Store

This is what happens when you refuse to control your own borders.

Rival alien and drug smugglers on the U.S.-Mexico border are targeting each other in a wave of escalating violence to win control of smuggling corridors into the United States, with at least four recent killings tied to efforts to kidnap migrants for ransom.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Since the US government refuses to exercise dominion over the entrance and egress to our land, others are taking advantage of this opportunity to enrich themselves.

Authorities said gang members are kidnapping illegal aliens being guided into the United States, demanding ransoms of up to $2,500 a person and killing the illegals, along with gang rivals, who resist. The kidnappings save the gangs the cost of recruiting migrants in Mexico and hiring guides, or "coyotes," to bring them across the border.

Instead of controlling the thugs and murderers who infest our borders, the feds are prosecuting and imprisoning the cops who are trying to stop the violence.

A federal court has denied a request to release on bond pending appeal two former Border Patrol agents whose jailing for shooting a suspected drug smuggler sparked a political controversy.

The decision by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has given new impetus to a bipartisan chorus of congressional criticism over the prosecution and conviction of former agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who are serving prison terms of 11 and 12 years respectively.

[...] "Acquiescing to the insistence of the White House, the court has decided to treat Ramos and Compean worse that they would common criminals, which is consistent with the way the Bush administration has handled these two border agents from the beginning," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), in a statement Friday.

The feds have treated these cops far, far worse than the FBI sniper who shot and killed Vicki Weaver during the Ruby Ridge incident under the Clinton administration in 1992. The FBI sniper that killed her was never punished.

This from Wikipedia:

In 1992, while working at sniper position Sierra 4 for the FBI Hostage Rescue Team at Ruby Ridge, Horiuchi allegedly killed Vicki Weaver, and wounded her husband Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris. Vicki Weaver was unarmed, clutching her infant daughter, when Horiuchi shot her in the face.

In September 1995, Horiuchi testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on the Ruby Ridge shootings; however, following advice of counsel, he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights, which limited the ability of Idaho's prosecutorial team of Denise Woodbury and Stephen Yagman to build a criminal case against him.

In 1997, Horiuchi was charged in Boundary County, Idaho state court with involuntary manslaughter. Horiuchi removed the case to federal court, where the case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge on May 14, 1998, who cited the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution which grants immunity to Federal officers acting in the scope of their employment. This decision was reversed by an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit, which held that Horiuchi should stand trial.

However, shortly after the Circuit court rendered its decision, the prosecutor moved to drop the case, and the District court granted the motion on June 26, 2001.

Horiuchi was also one of the FBI snipers engaged in Waco, TX, at the Branch Davidian compound.

Stay Calm? Hell No!

This story in the WaPo shows how the Bush Administration is reacting to the vigorous and unrelenting protest against the prosecution and incareration of Border Patrol agents Ramos and Campean.

Support Swells for Agents Who Shot Drug Smuggler
Conservatives Lead Movement to Free Ex-Border Patrolmen

Early this week, the Bush administration urged angry conservatives to remain calm over the convictions of two former Border Patrol agents who shot an unarmed Mexican drug smuggler, but petitions for their release continued to flood the White House.

It did not help that one the lawmen, Ignacio Ramos, was attacked by Latino gang members in his cell at the Yazoo City Federal Correctional Complex in Mississippi and beaten bloody. Days after prison officials confirmed the beating on Feb. 8, Department of Homeland Security officials admitted that an inspector general's report erroneously quoted Border Patrol agents as saying Ramos and his partner, Jose Compean, intended to kill Mexicans.

The phrase, "erroneously reported," is Washington-speak for "lied." And why would the White House urge conservatives to remain calm? The reason is simple. We're in another presidential election cycle and there is money to be made pledged and collected.

If my heated remarks to the Republican fund raiser who called me last week are any indication of what they are facing, the White House has a lot to be worried about.

So What, We Have Some Snow

You may have noticed that Upstate NY is getting some face time in the national news because of all the lake effect snow that has fallen this week. I received maybe a foot or more at my house and places in the northern part of the county have gotten maybe 2 or 3 feet. Just thirty miles or so north of us is where the real snowfall has buried Oswego County and parts east of Lake Ontario. Up to 120 inches (that's ten feet of white, powdery frozen water to you southerners) of new snow has been officially recorded in some areas of the North Country since last Sunday.

I also see that Miss Sue from Eagle Lake, Texas, sent my blog buddy Cookie some real beautiful photos of other parts of the country that are not buried under ten feet of snow. These photos make Cookie feel so much better after digging his weary, sorry ass out of a snow bank.

Now I admire the scenery and appreciate the stunning natural beauty of our great nation. And I appreciate the efforts of our dear southern friends to educate us of the benefits on living closer to the equator. But there are other aspects of southern living that we here in the Great White Frozen North do not enjoy. I have included some photos of these.

No one denies that upstate New York does get snow and a lot of it, and the temperatures are less than optimal from December through March. But maybe because of all the snow and cold we don't see a lot of other things, like illegal immigrants doing this:

Or this:

And we certainly don't see a lot of this while driving to work:

And we never see this charming vista:

Thank you, but I'll keep the snow.

The Outrage Continues

The Feds aren't happy with imprisoning two Border Guards, now they let one of them get assaulted, stomped on for several minutes according to his wife, while under the care of the federal prison system.

EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A former U.S. Border Patrol agent who was convicted of shooting a drug smuggling suspect and then lying about it was beaten by fellow inmates in prison, his relatives and a congressman said Tuesday.

Prison officials did not immediately confirm that Ignacio Ramos had been attacked.

Any prison official in his right mind knows that a former cop must be given special protection in a jail setting. Excuse me, any competent prison official.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a vocal supporter of the agents and opponent of illegal immigration, criticized the Bush administration Tuesday for failing to protect Ramos and demanded a full presidential pardon for the two men.

"Not only did the administration choose the side of a foreign dope runner over the agents who stopped him from smuggling a load of drugs into the county _ now they've failed to protect that agent while his case is on appeal," he said in a statement.

There has not been that much press on this case, unlike how the treacherous MSM supports the murderous Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Ramos' wife, Monica Ramos, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that her husband described being attacked late Saturday, when he "let his guard down." She said the attackers kicked and stomped him for several minutes.

He was able to identify one man in the group, Monica Ramos said.

The first time he "let his guard down" was when he tried to do his job in the Border Patrol and stop a drug dealer. He was very fortunate that there were no hand made knives used in the attack.

Officials of the Federal Bureau of Prisons did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday.

Of course not. They are too busy protecting terrorists and drug smugglers like Panama ex-strong man Noriega. And don't hold your breath waiting for something to happen to the inmate that Ramos was able to identify.

Politics As Usual

Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos are the two Border Patrol cops who are now in prison for shooting a drug dealer. Euphoricreality has put together some more developments in this ongoing saga of how the government screws the very people we need to protect our borders and panders to those who violate the same borders. The name of the article is: "Dirty Texas Politics Taint Border Patrol Agents’ Trial" and was written by Shawn Christopher Phillips at www.patgray.com.

The central perpetrator in this travesty of justice is the U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, who has old boy Texas connections from the judge overseeing the case all the way up to President George W. Bush. These connections, though not openly disclosed, have greatly impacted the case, as highly placed government officials look the other way while testimonies, evidence, and statements are manipulated behind the scenes.

Some of the issues which the government has been ignoring is that the drug dealer, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, not only was apprehended after trying to smuggle almost 800 pounds of marijuana into Arizona in 2005, several months later he was stopped again trying to smuggle a half ton of marijuana into the US! He was given a car by the authorities to travel into the US for court appearances and stuffs it with drugs! The results of this second incident?

U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton further extended immunity to this additional felony and sealed the indictment from jurors. Aldrete-Davila’s arrest record was expunged, and a gag order was issued. The jury was not informed of the second smuggling arrest, and Sutton issued a public statement that Aldrete-Davila was “never arrested” on drug charges.

The Bush administration is making a huge mistake in pursuing these two cops and yet letting a real criminal like former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger off with a by-your-leave. A Mexican criminal is caught smuggling almost a ton of dope into this country and skates absolutely free. And this is the part that really makes me sick.

Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila is now suing the US Border Patrol for $5-million for violating his civil rights, and Compean and Ramos are each doing over 12 years hard time. It’s rumored inside the beltway that President Bush will appoint Johnny Sutton to the federal bench before he leaves office on Jan. 20, 2009.

24

There are only 24 hours left until former US Border Agents agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos begin their 10+ year sentences. Thus far President Bush has ignored hundreds of thousands of emails and the pleas of 55 Congressmen to pardon these two men. Please contact your US representatives and the White House with your requests to have these men pardoned.

This from the Canada Free Press:

"If it can happen to them, it can happen to any one of us. It has definitely had an adverse affect on agents involved in border security." -Mark Parsons, President, Fraternal Order of Police in El Paso, Texas, Customs and Border Protection agent.

President Bush has shown no interest in pardoning these two agents whose sentences will surpass many murderers, rapists and even drug smugglers they have put behind bars. In addition to the obvious, however, the situation involving Compean and Ramos is having a "rippling effect" among border patrol agents and other law enforcement officials who have the increasingly dangerous and difficult task of protecting American citizens.

This will have a chilling effect on border security. And I believe that Bush wants exactly that.

Mr. Parsons stated that the aggressive prosecution, replete irregularities pertaining to the arrest and trial of the two agents, including but not limited to venue issues, restriction of exculpatory testimony and evidence, government corruption and jury misconduct "has made a lot of agents on the front lines 'gun shy' and afraid to do their jobs." He added that "if this can happen to agents Compean and Ramos, it can happen to any one of us."

It is also sending a strong message to illegal aliens, drug smugglers, and potential terrorists illegally crossing the border into the U.S. everyday. Those involved in illegal border activities see this as a victory for them, endangers the safety and welfare of the officers on the front lines and compromises the safety and security of every man, woman and child in the U.S.

These men and women are the first line of defense for our borders. The two agents were not acting in a manner to delibertly deprive an innocent human being of his life and liberty. They were protecting themselves from a perceived threat from a drug smuggler.

Make no mistake, the southern border of the U.S. is a virtual war zone being exploited by enemies of the United States. The demoralizing affect of this lack of prosecutorial discretion in a time of war is questionable at best, begging the questions: how serious are we in securing our borders, and why isn't the U.S. Department of Justice exercising the same zeal in the prosecution of illegal aliens as they are in punishing those front-line agents who are understaffed, out-gunned, and hamstrung by rules of engagement favoring the criminal?

I'm just so disgusted by this. And Sandy Berger gets probation for destroying national security documents!