November 26, 2008
National Guardsmen Get Prison for Human Smuggling
Three Texas National Guardsmen, Julio Cesar Pacheco, Clarence Hodge, Jr. and Jose Rodrigo Torres, assigned to assist the Border Patrol have been sentenced to a combined total of eight and one-half years in prison for operating a sophisticated smuggling ring credited with effecting the successful undetected passage of more than 100 illegal aliens into the United States.
Meanwhile, Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are serving terms of 11 years and 12 years in prison, respectively, for the nonfatal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler occurring in the course of doing their jobs. Individually, Ramos and Compean will do more time than the entire alien smuggling ring.
Inexplicably, three men who ran a criminal enterprise while doing their jobs get sentenced to one-third of the time given to two men who arguably erred while properly performing their jobs. Doesn't seem right. (more)
