For several weeks now, bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman has been cooling his heels in jail, along with Leland and Tim Chapman. Their “crime” was capturing Max Factor heir Andrew Luster who fled to Mexico after being convicted of rape. The trio were arrested last month by the U.S. Department of Justice at the request of the Mexican government and are awaiting extradition.
Now, 29 Congressmen have stepped in to ask Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that extradition be blocked. After the illegal immigration rallies this past spring when millions of Americans were outraged to see illegals waving Mexican flags on American soil, the Bush administration has made efforts to move away from the open-border policies that Bush has favored in the past. Following the polls, Bush has recently come out in favor of some form of border control, but his support of real reform is half-hearted at best.
Border control advocates should be making a lot of noise over this case. Will the Bush administration honor the Mexican government’s wish to prosecute an American who has violated Mexican law while the Mexican government encourages it’s people to break U.S. laws? If it were not for “Dog,” Luster would still be lounging on a beach in Mexico and Mexican authorities would be guilty of harboring a convicted violent felon. If Bush allows these men to be extradited, he will be guilty of valuing the demands of a foreign government over the sovereignty of the United States, in clear disregard for his Oath of Office.
I follow with interest the fate of this bounty hunter who entered a foreign country violated the law and when released on his promise to appear failed to appear and fled the country.
His identification and apprehension of Luster was profitable for him and his personnel. I am sure the Mexican police in the local where Luster was staying knew he was there and protected him to a certain extent in exchange for $$$$$.
I know there are quite a few fugitives from justice that hide out in Mexico and other countries. The only way we are ever going to be able to prosecute these felons is with the help of that country. Mexico does apprehend these felons and extridites them to the US but it takes some diplomacy for that to occur. Actually it is a little less than you may believe.
Maybe once he is out of the Mexican jail he will charge a little more the next time he goes after someone in a foreign country. He should have used his brain a little more than his brawn.
Dave,
You miss the point. The United States is a sovereign country and should act like one. If we begin valuing the wishes of a foreign government over the welfare of our own citizenry, then our government will loose legitimacy.
The purpose of government is to protect the people and enforce the laws. When it fails to do those things, collapse is not far behind.
I am a police officer working under contract for the US Army in the South Pacific. I just read this story and I could not agree more. Dog Chapman and his comrades are just being held by Mexican Authorities to prove an unjustfied irradical point. These guys got a convicted rapist off the streets where he can no longer hurt anyone. These “DIRTY” officials south of the border have got their own bounty as far as they are concerned. If our Government does not act to protect these US citizens then who will?
We can not let our hand be forcefully guided by the Mexican Govt. If they get their way what will be next?
Yet another impeachable offense by the Commander in Chief!