Freedom Folks: Another Border Patrol Agent To Be Railroaded?

Source: azstarnet

I'm sure you recall the story of a Border Patrol agent killing a "poor defenseless migrant" recently...

MEXICO CITY - The mother of a Mexican immigrant shot to death last week by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Arizona asked for justice on Monday and said she would like to see the agent receive the death penalty.
"I want the death penalty for that killer, because my son was just trying to find a better opportunity," an emotional Laura Rivera told the Mexican news agency Notimex. "He was a young worker whom they simply killed in cold blood, so I want justice."

It looks like she might get her wish...

The local border patrol union claims self-defense and fears the agent is about to be railroaded after Mexican officials were given unrestricted access to the witnesses before U.S. investigators. Union officials claim that access allowed the Mexican officials to frame the agent using false testimony.

“The Mexican consulate was allowed to coach the witnesses,” said Brandon Judd, president of Local 2544, which represents 90 percent of the 2,900 Customs and Border Protection agents in Southern Arizona. “Now the agent is in jeopardy because these witnesses were allowed to solidify their stories as the Mexican consulate coached them to do.”

The incident happened two weeks ago, when a 39-year-old border agent tried to arrest seven illegal aliens near Naco, Ariz. The agent had three immigrants inside a vehicle and three on the ground, but Francisco Rivera, age 22 refused to comply, the agent said.

Rivera picked up a rock, according to Judd, and cocked his arm to throw it from about 10 feet away.

The agent, a former Marine, says he killed Rivera with a single shot when he failed to answer commands to put the rock down.

snip…Following the shooting, the six witnesses were transported to the Naco Border Patrol processing center for questioning. The Mexicans were put in an unlocked cell.

An hour later, investigators for the Border Patrol and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office arrived. While interviewing the first witness inside a windowless interrogation room, three Mexican Consulate officials arrived and began interviewing the remaining witnesses.

Two border agents say they objected, but the special agent in charge, Darcy Olmos, gave the Mexican official unrestricted access inside the BP headquarters, according to Judd.

“This was an active investigation and our management allowed officials from the Mexican government into the processing area,” Judd said. “This compromised the investigation.”

snip….The agent has been reassigned pending outcome of the investigation. Meanwhile, Mexican President Felipe Calderone asked for a thorough investigation. Mexico’s foreign secretary condemned the shooting as an act of “disproportionate force.”

Even if the agent is cleared, union representatives expect a lawsuit.