Published: 07-21-08
AUSTIN – One month after a Mexican judge released a man from prison on a technicality suspected of murdering a U.S. Border Patrol agent Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX 10) demanded to know why the suspect was never extradited to the United States to stand trial.
“I do think we in the Congress are entitled to some answers and I hope the ball’s not dropped in this case” Rep. McCaul told Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in a committee hearing Thursday. “Certainly a marker could have been put down for extradition so we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in today” Rep. McCaul said. “Certainly a criminal complaint could have been filed to at least stop the clock on this guy.”
Congressman McCaul has now requested a special hearing in the House Homeland Security Committee to ask the Department of Justice why it missed a six month window to request extradition of Jesus Navarro Montes by not filing paperwork in time to prevent his release. Montes a Mexican national is suspected of murdering U.S. Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar in January shortly after Montes illegally crossed the U.S. border into Arizona.
Rep. McCaul’s request for a hearing follows a letter he signed last week to President Bush and Attorney General Mukasey requesting a full report of all activities and correspondence the U.S. government has had with the Mexican government regarding this case.
“Somebody screwed up” Congressman McCaul said. “And because of that we have a drug dealer at large who is suspected of killing a federal agent. I want to get to the bottom of this.”
Congressman McCaul a former federal prosecutor in the Justice Department says that a provisional arrest warrant for extradition could have been filed in a timely manner to extradite Montes. In his testimony Secretary Chertoff would not confirm media reports that extradition paperwork was not filed until several days after Montes was released and the window to request extradition from Mexican authorities had closed. Chertoff deferred comment to Attorney General Michael Mukasey.
