By M. Scott Carter

Transcript Staff Writer

Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole is asking President Bush to pardon two border patrol agents who were convicted of shooting an illegal immigrant.

Cole, R-Moore, said he sent a letter to Bush late Tuesday asking him to commute the sentences and issue pardons for agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos.

In a media statement e-mailed to The Transcript, Cole said Ramos and Compean were each sentenced to more than a decade in prison after shooting an illegal immigrant who was believed to have been armed while transporting hundreds of pounds of marijuana into the country.

“The justice system has failed border agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos,” he said. “When a narcotics-smuggling criminal, who has illegally crossed our borders on multiple occasions, receives more just treatment in our judicial system than officers of the law — a gross injustice has occurred.”

Cole said Compean and Ramos were “rightfully carrying out their duties” to protect the country from drug smugglers.

“They should be commended for their actions, not put in jail,” he said. "While these border agents may have violated certain rules of procedure, I believe they have received excessive and unwarranted sentences. After all, these men were respected members of their communities, with unblemished records, who were acting to protect our borders from those wish our country harm. The harsh and excessive sentence they received was uncalled for - these men deserve a full pardon."

 M. Scott Carter366-3545scarter@normantranscript.com