REP. CALVERT PRAISES PRESIDENT BUSH’S DECISION TO COMMUTE SENTENCES OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN
March 30, 2009
Press Release
Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA) issued the following statement in response to President Bush's commutation of the sentences of Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean:
"Today is a great day for the Ramos and Compean families and for the Border Patrol. For over three years many of us in Congress, and around the country, have pressed President Bush to pardon Ramos and Compean or commute their sentences. The two agents were clearly victims of an over-zealous prosecution and they should never have been imprisoned based on the testimony of a drug smuggler. The U.S. District Attorney's vigorous prosecution of this case did nothing but demoralize our Border Patrol and hinder their ability to stop the flow of illegal aliens, drugs, counterfeit goods and possible terrorists into the U.S.
"I commend President Bush for doing the right thing today; I only wish he had done it sooner. My congratulations go out to Ramos and Compean, and their families, and I wish them all the best as they close a difficult chapter of their lives and begin anew."
Rep. Calvert has supported the congressional hearings to review the Ramos and Compean case and Border Patrol policies. He also signed onto a bill in the 110th Congress introduced by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) to provide both Ramos and Compean with a congressional pardon. On July 29, 2008, Rep. Calvert sent two letters, along with several other colleagues, requesting that the President commute the sentences of both Ramos and Compean to time served.
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"Today is a great day for the Ramos and Compean families and for the Border Patrol. For over three years many of us in Congress, and around the country, have pressed President Bush to pardon Ramos and Compean or commute their sentences. The two agents were clearly victims of an over-zealous prosecution and they should never have been imprisoned based on the testimony of a drug smuggler. The U.S. District Attorney's vigorous prosecution of this case did nothing but demoralize our Border Patrol and hinder their ability to stop the flow of illegal aliens, drugs, counterfeit goods and possible terrorists into the U.S.
"I commend President Bush for doing the right thing today; I only wish he had done it sooner. My congratulations go out to Ramos and Compean, and their families, and I wish them all the best as they close a difficult chapter of their lives and begin anew."
Rep. Calvert has supported the congressional hearings to review the Ramos and Compean case and Border Patrol policies. He also signed onto a bill in the 110th Congress introduced by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) to provide both Ramos and Compean with a congressional pardon. On July 29, 2008, Rep. Calvert sent two letters, along with several other colleagues, requesting that the President commute the sentences of both Ramos and Compean to time served.
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