Ramos, Compean say prayers held them up

FIgnacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean

Former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were given long jail terms for shooting at a fleeing drug smuggler, today told Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck that they were sustained by prayers of the American people and their spirits were lifted by their letters.

The two were interviewed on Beck's program in their first television interview allowed under the terms of their probation after President Bush commuted their sentences on his last day in office. They just were released from ankle bracelet restrictions and still face limits on with whom they can talk.

One of the restrictions is that the two cannot talk to each other after they each spent about two years of their decade-long sentences in jail. Beck interviewed them separately.

Ramos said what was important was "knowing that so many people were supporting us, receiving their letters, their prayers. I can't thank everybody enough."

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A few minutes later, Compean echoed the statement.

"A lot of prayers from people really helped," Compean said.

Ramos said the American people, do, in fact, have a voice in their nation.

"Me sitting here today proves that," he said.

After serving two years in federal prison in solitary confinement for shooting a fleeing Mexican drug smuggler who had brought 750 pounds of marijuana into the U.S., Ramos and Compean were released from prison a month ago, with home confinement until today ordered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Patty Compean (left), Monica Ramos (right). Boys on wives' laps are Compean's sons Eric Alonso and David Antonio. Boys in back are Ramos' sons, Aaron and Ryan. Ramos' son, Jacob, and Compean's daughter, Anna Belle, are in front. (photo: Ramos, Compean families)

Patty Compean told Beck on his television show at her husband's release that her family needed time to spend with Jose before participating in interviews.

"They've been in solitary confinement without any human contact except for the guards and visitors for two years," she told WND when she first learned of the commutation. "Things have changed. Jose's been gone for two years. That's a lot to take in."

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Ramos' attorney, David Botsford, said the families are still waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court on the cases.

"We've asked the Supreme Court to review the convictions on the remaining counts that the Fifth Circuit had not set aside because it's our goal to vindicate these gentlemen entirely and get them back on the job with law enforcement, which is what their dreams and their goals and their careers have been."

Asked when he really would feel free, Compean said the court case needed to be resolved.

In an interview with Beck when the agents were released, Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, summarized a number of falsehoods Congress had been told about the border agents' case.

"We were told that these two border agents went out that day to shoot an illegal, which is an absolute lie," he said. "We were also told that they knew that the drug dealer was unarmed. That is a lie. They both believed him to be armed. But, most importantly, the U.S. attorney's office told us … that the drug dealer didn't bring in drugs a second time. … I figured out that was a lie, too."

The congressman continued, "Both these individuals were political prisoners. We want to get to the bottom of what the involvement of the Mexican government was in prosecuting these two guys."

Poe said he believes there's a real problem on both sides of the border and that this was the only case in which the U.S. attorney's office went on a "nationwide Madison Avenue PR stunt" to justify prosecution.

"It just seems like there's a rat in the room," Poe said. "And we want to get rid of it."