Bush Commutes Prison Sentences of Border Agents

President George W. Bush, in one of his last official acts in office, commuted the prison sentences of two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were imprisoned for shooting an unarmed Mexican drug smuggler in the buttocks in a case that drew widespread attention.

Ignacio Ramos had been sentenced to 11 years and a day in prison and Jose Alonso Compean received 12 years.

Their conviction in 2006 drew an outcry from supporters who said the agents were just doing their job.

WASHINGTON - In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the prison sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration.

Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress. They had long argued that the agents were merely doing their jobs, defending the American border against criminals. They also maintained that the more than 10-year prison sentences the pair was given were too harsh.