Records prompt call for new Ramos-Compean trial

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, second from right, presiding over House panel

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., plans to reveal today Drug Enforcement Agency investigative reports that confirm a previous WND story presenting evidence the drug smuggler given immunity to testify against border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean was involved in a second smuggling incident.

The DEA documents and Department of Homeland Security investigative reports already presented by WND contradict the prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, who repeatedly has insisted to the public that smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila was not a suspect under investigation in a second drug incident.

Sutton gave Aldrete-Davila immunity to testify as the prosecution’s chief witness regarding the Feb. 17, 2005, shooting incident on the Texas border that led to prison sentences for Ramos and Compean of 11 and 12 years respectively.

In a statement released by his office, Rohrabacher said, “Upon review of these new documents, it is obvious that U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton knowingly presented a false picture of the drug smuggler in order to justify his ruthless prosecution of Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean.”

Rohrabacher plans to hold a press conference today at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time in the House TV Gallery, H-321, in Washington.

A spokeswoman with Rohrabacher’s Washington office confirmed to WND the congressman now has evidence Sutton’s office was notified by the DEA of Aldrete-Davila’s direct involvement in a second offense.

“Sutton chose to disregard the information, despite the evidence produced by the DEA,” Rohrabacher told WND. “Sutton’s continuous attempts to paint a benign picture of the drug smuggler is not only disingenuous but amounts to misleading the jury and the public when questioned about the second offense.”

Rohrabacher’s spokeswoman, Tara Setmayer, told WND the congressman considers the recently obtained DEA reports sufficient basis to demand a new trial.

WND has confirmed with Sutton’s office the information contained in the DEA reports matches the information from a Nov. 21, 2005, memo by DHS Special Agent Christopher Sanchez, which was highlighted in a WND story.

According to both reports, Aldrete-Davila brought a second load of 752 pounds of marijuana across the border in bales packed in a 1990 Chevy Astro van he drove Oct. 22, 2005.

The smuggler brought the drug load to the home of Cipriano Ortiz-Hernandez at 12101 Quetzal in Clint, Texas. Ortiz-Hernandez positively identified Aldrete-Davila to DEA investigating agents from police photographs.

WND has obtained both the Texas ID number and the Social Security number of Ortiz-Hernandez.

Texas law enforcement officers confirm both numbers are recorded for Ortiz-Hernandez in current state law enforcement databases. The officers told WND Ortiz-Hernandez has a criminal record in addition to the Oct. 22, 2005, drug investigation.

Rohrabacher spokeswoman Setmayer told WND Sutton’s attempt to seal the information about Aldrete-Davila’s October 2005 drug offense was an intentional effort to withhold from the jury information the prosecutor knew would discredit the smuggler as a witness, thereby destroying the prosecution’s case.

“Sutton chose to hide the second drug offense so he could convict Ramos and Compean, rather than do his duty as an officer of the court in allowing the truth to come out,” Setmayer said.

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