FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: Contact: Scott Gerber,
Feinstein, 202/224-9629
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 John
Drogin/Brian Walsh, Cornyn,
202-224-0704
Senators
Feinstein and Cornyn Ask President Bush
To
Commute the Sentences of former Border Patrol Agents
Ramos and
Compean
Ramos and Compean were sentenced
in October 2006 to 11 and 12 years in prison, respectively, for shooting a
Mexican drug smuggler who had driven a van containing 743 pounds of marijuana
across the Mexican border into
The federal prosecutors in this case used their discretion
to charge a firearms offense under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), which carries with it a
mandatory minimum of 10 years. This was in addition to the 12 other
offenses that were charged. The result was that Ramos and Compean received sentences that were higher than the
average sentences for other federal crimes.
Feinstein and Cornyn’s request to
the President follows a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that examined
whether the charges and the very heavy sentences levied against the agents were
appropriate.
“After the hearing yesterday it became very clear that the
sentence does not match the crime,” Senator Feinstein said. “The sentences of 11
years for Agent Ramos and 12 years for Agent Compean
were significantly higher than for many other serious crimes. I believe
the charging of 18 USC 924c was a prosecutorial overreach. Ramos and Compean have now served six months in the federal penitentiary, and we would ask the President to review the
case closely and commute the sentence.”
“It is incomprehensible to me that an illegal alien drug smuggler was
allowed to violate his immunity agreement, perjure himself and be granted a
series of unlimited visas to roam free in our country while two border patrol
agents were given excessive prison sentences,” Senator Cornyn
said. “The drug smuggler, who should be in prison, was given all
the breaks and the Border Patrol agents received none of the breaks. This
case cries out for a commutation that is fair and just.”