WASHINGTON (AP) -- President George W. Bush today commuted the prison sentences of two now-former U.S. Border Patrol agents in West Texas.
Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were serving sentences of more than 10 years for shooting a Mexican drug dealer near El Paso in 2005 -- and trying to cover it up.
Bush's decision was welcomed by Republican and Democratic members of Congress, who had argued the agents were doing their jobs -- and that the prison sentences were too harsh.
Bush did not pardon the men.
The Associated Press reports Compean and Ramos, who've served about two years, are expected to be released within the next two months.
They were convicted of shooting admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila in the buttocks as he fled across the Rio Grande, away from an abandoned load of marijuana.
The agents were fired after their convictions on several charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon and with serious bodily injury, violation of civil rights and obstruction of justice.
All their convictions, except obstruction of justice, were upheld on appeal.
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT