Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Affirms the Convictions Against Agents Ramos and Compean

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed the convictions against Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean for counts 1 through 5 and counts 11 and 12. The Court reversed and vacated counts 6 through 12 because the court determined the Border Patrol investigation was not an "official proceeding" within the meaning of the Statute.

Heat Wave Safety Tips from NOAA

Please review the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s article about Heat Wave Safety Tips (click the title above). The article also presents NOAA's National Weather Service Heat Index (see below) and explains how to understand the Heat Index.

There is an important note about the Heat Index table that must be considered when reading it: HI values were devised for shady, light wind conditions; therefore exposure to full sunlight can increase HI values by up to 15°F. In addition, strong winds with very hot, dry air can be extremely dangerous.

"The FBI - Antennae of Death"

"The FBI" is a show that aired in the 1970's. This particular episode, "The Antennae of Death" is based on the true story about Border Patrol Inspectors Theodore L. Newton Jr. and George F. Azrak (names, locations, etc. were changed, as indicated at the end of the video). Thanks to Harold Newton, brother of Theodore Newton, we received a copy of a link to this show after Harold spent time searching for the show ever since he first viewed it in the 70's. According to Harold, this episode aired on November 29, 1970. Click on the above title to view the video.

To read more about Border Patrol Insectors Newton and Azrak, click here:

The murderer, Jesus Navarro Montes

The following is a copy of the letter I sent this morning to all five San Diego members of the House of Representatives and both California Senators. I encourage all Border Patrol Agents and citizens to take action and demand a satisfactory outcome in this travesty of justice.

Local 1613 Mission

• We are the guardians of non-supervisory Border Patrol Agents and support personnel assigned to the San Diego Sector of the United States Border Patrol.
• We protect Border Patrol Agents against frivolous lawsuits, overzealous prosecutors, and unwarranted or disparate administrative actions.
• We safeguard conditions of employment, agreements, practices, employee rights, and the labor laws of the United States.
• We strive to ensure a fair and equitable workplace free from favoritism, intimidation, disparate treatment, and harassment.
• We investigate and report fraud, waste, and abuse within the Border Patrol.
• We seek to preserve the Border Patrol motto: “Honor First” and the oath of office sworn by all Border Patrol Agents.
• We promote immigration laws and policies that contribute to the security of the United States and oppose policies that restrict the sworn duties of Border Patrol Agents.
• We represent the employees with honor, judiciousness, and professionalism.

SDC Electronic OWCP filing

Recently San Diego Sector implemented a new pilot program called ECOMP, which involves employees electronically filing their CA-1 or CA-2. Here is the problem; ECOMP is an old program that is riddled with problems. DOL/OWCP personnel have stated that they don’t know why the agency is using ECOMP since it is a program they don’t even use.

Are you a Freeloader?

One of the most vexing problems faced by any union representative is the knowledge that all his/her hard work not only benefit the dues paying member, but the freeloading hangers-on that seem to wind their way into everyday issues. We've all been there right? You get a cold-call from an agent at a different station regarding a contract issue and in the blink of an eye, you read through the pertinent section(s) of the contract, maybe place a few preemptory calls to an involved supervisor, write a rough draft for a Step 1....and, uh oh....you find out the agent that called you doesn't even pay dues.