Drug Smuggler Sentenced To Nearly 10 Years

POSTED: 10:17 am MDT August 6, 2008

EL PASO, Texas -- Former Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos is serving an 11-year prison sentence for his role in the shooting of drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila.

Fellow Border Patrol Agent Jose Compean is serving 12 years in prison.

Davila was given immunity from prosecution for trying to smuggle drugs into the U.S. on the day back in 2005, Ramos and Compean allegedly shot him, in exchange for his testimony against the agents.

Davila was prosecuted for a later drug smuggling attempt, and Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sentenced him to 9 and a half years in federal prison, a lighter sentence than she gave Ramos and Compean.

Monica Ramos is the wife of Ignacio Ramos and she said, "How dare they compare a drug dealer to law enforcement officers. How can it be that they're given almost the same identical sentence, my husband a year more?"

Ramos' father-in-law Joe Loya said, "I think he got off with a slap on the wrist actually."

Ramos' father-in-law Joe Loya remains bitter over the convictions of his son-in-law and Jose Compean saying they were railroaded by prosecutors who wanted to win at any cost.

"Davila lied with the three agents who were given immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony and admitted at the trial that they had been forced three times to change their statement by the prosecution or face indictment," said Loya.

Now that Davila has been sentenced, Loya said he has one request of the drug smuggler, help get Ramos and Compean out of prison.

"You've been sentenced. They can't touch you anymore. Why don't you tell the truth about Ramos and Compean,” said Loya.
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