President Bush Would Consider Pardoning Border Agents Convicted of Shooting Drug Runner

President George W. Bush left open the possibility of a pardon for two U.S. Border Patrol agents serving federal prison sentences for shooting a Mexican drug dealer as he fled and covering up the crime.

President Bush is apparently considering a pardon for the two Border Patrol agents who shot an illegal as he fled for Mexico. After the shooting, the agents were also convicted of covering up the crime. Bush says "there's a process for pardons" and the case has to work its way through the system. In an interview with KFOX-TV in El Paso, Texas, Bush said the White House will review the case, and he urged people to "take a sober look at the case."

"People need to take a tough look at the facts, the evidence a jury looked at, as well as the judge. And I will do the same thing," he said. Feelings of deep bitter anger and ill-will have been simmering for months since the agents were convicted and sentenced to 11 years for agent Ignacio Ramos and 12 years for Jose Alonso Compean. The two have become the "cause celebre" on the conservative talk show circuit. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, introduced a bill on Thursday that calls for a congressional pardon of the agents. However, Congress has never issued a pardon to anyone who was actually convicted of a crime. But Hunter believes there is enough ambiguity in the law on pardons to give it a try. "Agents Compean and Ramos fulfilled their responsibilities as Border Patrol agents and rightfully pursued a suspected and fleeing drug smuggler. It is irresponsible to punish them with jail time," he said in a news release. Interesting development. It will be fascinating to see how this all turns out. See prior post : http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/93663/Border_Patrol_Agents_Convicted_of_Shooting_Mexican_Turn_themselves_in