Ignacio Ramos

Ignacio Ramos is a former United States Border Patrol Agent, who shot an allegedly unarmed illegal alien and drug smuggler on the United States–Mexico border. He was convicted of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and a civil rights violation.

Border incident and prosecution
Ramos was sentenced to 11 years and one day in prison for shooting and wounding Osvaldo Aldrete Dávila near the Fabens settlement of unincorporated El Paso County, Texas, at about 1 PM on February 17, 2005. According to Johnny Sutton, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Ramos and his partner fired fifteen shots at an unarmed man in broad daylight and failed to report it to their supervisors, instead giving a false report.{fact} Fellow agent Jose Compean was sentenced to 12 years. Aldrete Dávila had been found with nearly 800 pounds of marijuana in the back of his van. Following the incident, Aldrete Dávila was granted a temporary conditional visitors visa in exchange for giving his testimony against Ramos and Compean. Ramos and his partner were incarcerated January 17, 2007. Aldrete Dávila was later arrested for continuing to haul drugs across the border after the incident.

Homeland Security and Justice Department involvement
Congressmen Ted Poe and John Culberson indicated that the Department of Homeland Security lied to them about the case when it indicated that it had evidence that the agents "plotted and conspired that day to go out and shoot" Mexicans. Richard Skinner, Inspector General of DHS, apologized to the congressmen for misleading them.

According to Jerome Corsi, the prosecution was initiated at the behest of the Mexican government.

Reactions
Aldrete Dávila has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the U.S. government, claiming that his civil rights were violated. Published court documents have revealed that Aldrete Dávila was implicated in the smuggling of another load of marijuana into the U.S. a mere four months before the trial. This information was presented to the defense attorneys and the United States federal district judge and the court ruled it was inadmissable at the time of trial.

A petition for the pardon of the border agents received nearly 240,000 signatures. On January 18, 2007, President George W. Bush agreed to review the case, and Representative Duncan Hunter introduced a bill, titled the Ramos and Compean Act, that would pardon the two agents. After the 2007 State of the Union Address, Ramos' wife, Monica, stated, "I have to show my children their father in prison in chains and I have to explain to them that the President of the United States is a liar."

On January 1, 2007, David Horowitz's FrontPage Magazine named Ramos and Campean its "People Of The Year - 2006". FrontPage Magazine deemed them guilty only of "bureaucratic infractions"; "these men have lost their money, their reputations, and (perhaps soon) their freedom trying to protect our nation. For that, they deserve our thanks".

On 2007-02-06 Representative Tom Tancredo and Ramos's relatives reported to the Associated Press that Ignacio had been beaten by fellow inmates in prison. His wife Mrs. Monica Ramos told the AP that he had "let his guard down" and been stomped and kicked for several minutes.

Ramos, Compean, and Deputy Gilmer Hernandez, who is in a similar situation, have been dubbed "The Texas Three." They were featured as the first segment on the February 17, 2007 edition of America's Most Wanted. All three have been prosecuted by Johnny Sutton. Grassfire's FireSociety has received 9123 petition signatures to remove Sutton as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas. , as well as 8298 signatures to free Hernandez.

On April 23, 2007 the border patrol union released a no-confidence resolution against Chief David V. Aguilar for his failure to back up Ramos during the case. The union had also made a rebuttal responding to Sutton's reasons why convicting the agents was justified.

Legal appeal
On September 25, 2007 a legal appeal concerning the conviction of Ramos and Compean was filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. The case is currently under consideration.

References to legal transcripts

 * Transcript of the Sentencing: United States vs Ignacio Ramos
 * Transcript of the Verdict: US vs Ignacio Ramos
 * Link to access pretrial matters and trial transcripts: US vs Ignacio Ramos