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US Border
Agent's Killer Released
U.S.
Representative Judge Ted Poe (TX-02)
Wednesday, July 9,
2008
In January, Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar was tracking drug smugglers
on the Mexican-U.S. border. A Hummer apparently carrying drugs crossed into
the United States and tried to flee back to Mexico when Aguilar and other
Border Patrol agents gave pursuit. Aguilar got in front of the Hummer at
some distance and he put spikes in the road of retreat, but the Hummer,
rather than go over the spikes, drove off the road, ran over and killed
Aguilar, and fled back to Mexico.
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| Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar |
The driver was Jesus Navarro Montes. And he fled to Mexico, ditched the
Hummer with some friends, but was arrested by Mexican authorities 3 days
later and charged with certain offenses.
Now the facts get a little messy. Montes is the only suspect in the murder
of Aguilar, but he has recently been released from jail in Mexico. Some
Mexican authorities say he was not in jail for the murder but unrelated
smuggling charges. Even so, he was not tried for those charges even though
he waited in jail for 6 months.
Mexico also says that the United States has failed to file extradition
papers from the United States to Mexico requesting the extradition of
Montes. Extradition papers are a legal requirement between countries to
bring criminals from one country to another. It's been 6 months and
certainly those papers should have been filed some time ago.
Our Justice Department, however, refuses to comment on whether extradition
was requested or the papers were filed. This is a bit odd and curious why
our government won't say whether or not they even filed the appropriate
paperwork and what the problem is. Did our government fail to file this
simple paperwork? And if so, people in our government ought to be fired.
This is inexcusable. And if Mexican authorities released prematurely, Mexico
has some explaining to do as well. There is obviously incompetence in
somebody's government regarding the release of this individual.
Meanwhile Navarro Montes is running lose somewhere in Mexico, laughing at
both governments and probably still smuggling drugs into the United States.
The Aguilar family still weeps, and they are waiting for justice for the
death and murder of their loved one.
This ought not to be. Our government should be as concerned about
prosecuting drug smugglers that murder American Border Patrol protectors as
they are about relentless prosecuting border agents like Ramos and Compean
that were doing their job when charged with violating the civil rights of a
drug smuggler on the border. We need some answers, and not blissful silence
and excuses from our government. Navarro Montes needs a trial so that
justice can prevail because justice is what we do in this country.
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