Ramos and Compean: One Year in Purgatory

(CNN image L to R: Ramos and compean)

By Tony Vega

Published here: >

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Today, January 17, 2008, is the one-year anniversary of the wrongful
imprisonment of U.S. Border Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.

Steve Elliott, President of Grassfire.org Alliance mailed out the following press statement by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA):

"It has been a year since Border Agents Ramos and Compean entered prison. This marks a year of shame for President Bush who has been fully aware of the details of this blatant miscarriage of justice and chosen to do absolutely nothing about it. Since day one, family members, a cross section of the American people and Members of Congress have pleaded with President Bush to pardon or commute their sentences to prevent these men from having
to endure the horror of federal prison.

For a year, the President has shown us his arrogant and heartless side by permitting the wrongful incarceration of Ramos and Compean to continue. He may have put Ramos
and Compean out of his mind, but for the rest of us, the President's disregard for Ramos and Compean’s injustice represents a definitive and deliberate inaction on his part.

The last year has been an absolute nightmare for these two men who risked their lives defending our borders. Agent Ramos was savagely beaten within days of imprisonment
and both men have been condemned to solitary confinement for a year, suffering conditions worse than detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

It is shameful that President Bush refused to show the
same level of mercy for Ramos and Compean that he was
so easily willing to grant his friend Scooter Libby."

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), has been an outspoken advocate
of the agents.

The agents' appeal was heard before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on December 3, 2007.

Grassfire has been in close contact with both Mrs. Ramos and Compean, and they have not received any indications as to when the ruling might be announced. They did however,
ask everyone to pray. Contingent upon the courts ruling, Ramos and Compean may be forced to serve their entire 11 and 12 years sentences, respectively.

Folks, this travesty of justice began when West Texas U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton manipulated the system for his own political advancement and perverse sense of justice.

This should serve as a harsh reminder that terrible things happen to good people. At this magnitude, American justice seems to be a foreign concept.

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Please review these other articles previously published regarding the plight of our former agents, the commencement of the appeal process, and the pardons by President Bush that ignored their plight.

Note: President Bush appointed U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, and in deference to his “dear friend” will not address the plight of the agents. To view video of bush discussing this please activate hyperlinked note.

If you wish to correspond with agents contact author for information.

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Sources: Steve Elliott, President of Grassfire.org Alliance in an email 01/17/08 to author