Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean (KFOX-TV, El Paso, Texas)

Three Border Patrol agents, who were given immunity to testify against fellow agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean in the Feb. 17, 2005, shooting of a drug-smuggling suspect as he fled across the U.S.-Mexico border, are no longer with the agency because they changed their accounts of the incident several times.

Removal documents for the proposed firing of agents David Jaquez and Arturo Vasquez were issued on Jan. 29, the Ontario Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported. A third agent, Oscar Juarez, reportedly resigned from the agency last month shortly before he was to be fired.

Jaquez and Vasquez have signed their termination papers and are officially dismissed as of Feb. 28.

As WND reported, a Department of Homeland Security memo filed April 12, 2005, indicates Jaquez, Vasquez and Juarez were closely linked to the shooting for which Ramos and Compean were prosecuted and sentenced to 11 and 12 years, respectively:

Investigation disclosed that the following BP agents were at the location of the shooting incident, assisted in destroying evidence of the shooting, and/or knew/heard about the shooting: Oscar Juarez; Arturo Vasquez; Jose Mendoza; David Jacquez; Lance Medrano; Lorenzo Yrigoyen; Rene Mendez; Robert Arnold; and Jonathan Richards.

Of the nine listed agents, two were supervisors, Arnold and Richards. Arnold was a supervisory Border Patrol agent and Richards was a field operations supervisor, the senior BP officer on the field that day. Agents Vasquez, Jacquez and Juarez, were given immunity for their testimony by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton's office. All three were called as witnesses by the prosecution to testify against Ramos and Compean at trial.

(Story continues below)

Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila

According to the termination documents, obtained by the Daily Bulletin, Vasquez originally confirmed Compean's claim he had made a radio call asking for backup after a van driven by suspected drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila twice tripped border sensors. In court, however, Vasquez changed his story.

"On March 18, 2005, and on May 11, 2005, you provided different statements to DHS (Office of Inspector General) investigators regarding your knowledge of the February 2005 shooting incident," Vasquez's termination document charges.

"Specifically, you said in the March 18, 2005, statement that you heard radio traffic by (Border Patrol Agent) Jose Compean that there was a 10-46 (apprehended narcotics case) in progress in the area. You testified in court on February 24, 2006, and admitted that your March 18, 2005, statement regarding a 10-46 in progress was inaccurate."

The removal document also says Vasquez told prosecutors Compean described Aldrete-Davila with an expletive after the smuggler threw dirt in his eyes as the two struggled prior to the shooting, even though he did not include that detail in his sworn statement of March 18, 2005.

At trial, Vasquez contradicted the statements of other agents present at the scene when he said he was unable to smell nearly 800 pounds of marijuana when he opened the door to Aldrete-Davila's abandoned van.

On cross examination, Vasquez explained the discrepancy between his post-incident statement and his testimony by saying he wasn't sure why he had thought Compean called for backup while pursuing a narcotics suspect, and, according to the Daily Bulletin, failed to directly answer the defense attorney's question as to why other agents went to assist Compean.

Jaquez's termination document charges him with discrepancies between statements to investigators and testimony given at trial.

"On April 15, 2005, you provided false statements during your interview with DHS OIG investigators regarding the February 17, 2005, shooting incident," it read.

"You told DHS OIG that when you asked (Agent) Compean what had happened, he never mentioned the shooting incident to you. On February 27, you testified in court and admitted that you gave two different statements to DHS OIG investigators."

The DHS memo of April 12, 2005, clearly identifies Jaquez as one of nine agents who "were at the location of the shooting incident, assisted in destroying evidence of the shooting, and/or knew/heard about the shooting."

A November DHS Report of Incident, released this week, said the nine agents at the scene had been unaware of the shooting.

Andy Ramirez, who has closely followed the case as chairman of the group Friends of the Border Patrol, charged that Sutton gave immunity in exchange for favorable testimony.

"Arturo Vasquez, David Jacquez and Oscar Juarez were given immunity because they were willing to tell the story to the jury that Sutton needed told," Ramirez told WND. "They all lied. Juarez even contradicted himself on the stand, changing his lies as he went along.

Why were none of the other agents charged with crimes," Ramirez continued, "when the DHS memo clearly states that others assisted in destroying evidence of the shooting?"

"When you give deals to witnesses like immunity, the government usually gets the testimony (it wants)," Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, told the Daily Bulletin. "This case is a perfect example."

---

Special offers:

"PREMEDITATED MERGER: How leaders are stealthily transforming USA into North American Union"

Autographed! – Pat Buchanan unleashed on border crisis

Tom Tancredo: America itself "In Mortal Danger"

Get Minutemen founder's new book

Get special Whistleblower issue: "SECRETS OF THE INVASION"

"Conquest of Aztlan": Will Mexicans retake American Southwest?

---

Previous stories:

Drug smuggler left cell phone in van

Border-agent investigator had tie to smuggler

Author of DHS border-agent report lied to Congress

Officials urged to resign for lie about border agents

Government admits lying about jailed border agents

Imprisoned border agent did report shooting

Imprisoned border agent beaten by fellow inmates

Prosecutor had evidence against drug smuggler

Poe seeks 'public' documents on border agents

Prosecutor accused of hiding smuggler's 2nd drug bust

Homeland Security memos contradict U.S. attorney

Uproar over border agents to get White House review

Feds 'knew smuggler' in Border Patrol case

Ballistics data don't support charge against border agents

Funds set up for Border Patrol agents

Congressman: Feds stonewalling on border agents

Border agent's wife at State of the Union

Revolt builds as Republicans seek to toss border agents' convictions

Border Patrol agent held in solitary confinement

Imprisoned agent's wife: President is a hypocrite

Border agents' prosecutor responds to critics

Border agents sent to prison

Border agents plead for 'Christmas pardon'

White House clarifies 'nonsensical' comment'

12 congressmen demand pardon for border agents

Snow says question on agents' prison time 'nonsensical'

Border Patrol agents sentenced to prison

National Guard units to be armed, close to the border

Gang expert backs Tancredo charge

National Guard units to be armed, close to the border

No militarization of U.S.-Mex border

Not even killer flu to shut U.S. border

Chertoff downplays Mexican military incursions

'Shoot illegals' comment earns host FCC complaint

Another armed incursion on U.S.-Mexico border

Texas border standoff with Mexican military

Border Patrol warned: Brace for violence

Feds to border agents: Assassins targeting you

Armed standoff on Rio Grande

Border sheriff warns: We're overwhelmed

Mexican drug commandos expand ops in 6 U.S. states

It's war between cops in Mexico

The threat from Mexico

'It's a war' along Mexican border

Mexican commandos seek control of border

Mexican commandos new threat on border

Border Patrol agents shot in Laredo

Mexicans shoot at Border Patrol