By Joe Guzzardi
11/21/2003
See also: Whose Side Are U.S. "Latino Officials" on? By Allan Wall
In October, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi headed a Congressional delegation of nogoodniks — Representatives David Hobson (R-OH); Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Sam Farr (D-CA); Hilda Solis (D-CA); and Linda Sanchez (D-CA). — to meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox on his home turf.
Purpose: butt kissing.
Pelosi, as you recall, stole the show there with her widely-reported remark equating the U.S. authorities' recent round up of 300 illegal aliens at Wal-Mart with terrorism.
But while most of the nation was focused on Pelosi’s amazing comments, VDARE.COM had its sights trained on Sanchez — a real snake in the grass — and her traitorous wheeling and dealing with the ever-present Vicente Fox.
Sanchez was elected in 2002 to represent California’s newly created 39th District. She won with only 48,000 votes. Why? Her district is a "rotten borough" in which the Census’s count of residents, rather than citizens, determines the amount of political clout available. 35% of Congresswoman Sanchez’s constituents were born outside the US.)
Sanchez used her taxpayer-funded trip to horn in on the sensitive negotiations between the Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley’s office and the Mexican government regarding extradition.
For more than two years, Cooley and Deputy District Attorney Jan Maurizi have worked to get Mexico to extradite nationals who have fled to Mexico after committing capital crimes in California.
But Mexico, since its 2001 Supreme Court ruling that life-imprisonment is excessive punishment, has steadfastly refused to cooperate.
What Mexico would love to do instead of extraditing is try to its nationals in Mexico under Article IV of the Mexican Federal Penal Code.
By so doing, Mexico can assure itself that killers who murder on US soil get the lightest possible sentence.
Maurizi explained to me the differences between sentences handed down in California versus Mexico:
"Under Article IV, the vast majority of murderers harbored in Mexico have received grossly inadequate sentences or even acquittals. Sentences for murder have been as low as three years. In one case the sentence for the execution murder of a 17 year old was reduced to weekends only after two years served. Soon thereafter, the killer showed up back in California. In another home invasion robbery/murder, the shooter fled to Mexico. He ultimately got 8 years while the non-shooters were tried in California and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."
Despite Article IV’s failure to bring justice to victim families, this is the deal that Representative Sanchez, acting in effect as Fox’s agent, tried to sell to Annabella Vera, whose then-husband Daniel Perez shot her in the face and killed her father; and to Saul Zavala, father of the murdered Jessica and uncle to slain Olivia.
Sanchez convened the private meeting — without so much as a courtesy call to prosecutors Cooley and Maurizi — on Saturday, November 8th.
If the victim families were to agree to Article IV prosecution, then Sanchez would become a hero to Bush and to Fox. And Sanchez would certainly put a tortured spin on her meddling so she could look like a star to her mostly Latino constituents.
But Vera and Zavala immediately got bad vibes from the transparent Sanchez.
According to Vera, "She was so insincere. She didn’t fool me. My dad was shot almost five years ago. I don’t think Sanchez cares at all about the pain and suffering my family has been through. "
Added Zavala: "Sanchez wants what Fox wants. She’s afraid if there is too much negative publicity about Mexico’s refusal to extradite, its agenda for illegal immigrants will be set back."
Sanchez had laid bare her loyalties in her statements during the October 1 testimony before the House Government Reform Committee.
According to Washington Bureau Los Angeles Daily News reporter Lisa Friedman in her October 2 "Widow Testifies at DC Hearing; Officials Say Deputy’s Killer Fled to Mexico," [not online] Sanchez
"said the Mexican government is not the enemy. During Wednesday’s hearing, she repeatedly sought and received assurances from Bush administration officials that the Mexican government opposed the court’s ruling and continues to try to overturn it."
"'They look at Mexico like they're this bad neighbor to the south.' Sanchez said after the hearing. But she argued the U.S. has as much right to ask the Mexican government to overturn its country’s Supreme Court decision as Mexico would have in asking Congress or President Bush to repeal a U.S. Supreme Court ruling."
Sanchez, a UCLA law school graduate, made this statement although she must have been fully aware that Article IV permits Mexico to coddle known killers.
During the two years since the Mexican Supreme Court decision, several thousand killers — that right, several thousand — have fled the southwestern U.S. for Mexico.
In the meantime, Fox has the audacity to travel with his wife to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to pontificate about "migratory accords" and posture about amnesty. Yet he will not lift a pinky to end Mexico’s extradition travesty.
Public awareness — and outrage — concerning the White House’s passivity regarding Mexico spells even more trouble for Bush’s re-election prospects. Enlightened voters know that Fox is aided and abetted by Bush’s benign neglect.
Gradually, Republicans and Democrats alike are demanding action. During the October House Government Reform Committee meeting Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., and chairman of the criminal justice subcommittee said:
"The lack of extradition means it’s relatively safe to kill policemen in this country."
Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga, supports rescinding Mexico’s favorable trade status and renouncing existing extradition treaties:
"Mexico’s refusal to be a good neighbor in the prosecution of dangerous felons should be the first reason for the United States to resist expanded immigration rules and an open border policy."
California Senator Dianne Feinstein wrote a strongly worded letter to Fox in August urging him to cooperate fully with Cooley.
To date, according to Feinstein’s Washington DC spokesman Howard Gantman, Fox has not replied.
On a personal note, in September I attended a victim families meeting held at Cooley’s office. There I heard Vera, Zavala and many others tell their tragic, heartbreaking stories.
When I remember that Mexico will not comply, nor will the US use its leverage to insist on compliance, my blood boils.
Mexico demands that the U.S. say "yes" to a mile-long list of outrageous requests. But the Bush administration cannot insist on justice for Americans!
Because Mexican presidents serve only one six-year term, Fox is a lame duck.
And that is exactly what Bush is going to be in November 2004 unless he gets wise to the will of the American people.
Post script: On November 15th Burbank, CA. police officer Matthew Pavelka was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop. The Los Angeles Times reported that the suspect in shooting, David Garcia, is rumored to be involved in drug and gang activities. As of this writing, Garcia’s whereabouts are unknown.
Joe Guzzardi, an instructor in English at the Lodi Adult School, has been writing a weekly newspaper column since 1988. This column is exclusive to VDARE.COM.
This is a content archive of VDARE.com, which Letitia James forced off of the Internet using lawfare.