DHS: An Open Letter to the 110th United States Congress

By Miguel Contreras,
Posted on Fri Nov 10th, 2006 at 12:22:34 PM EST

To the Honorable 110th United States Congress:

Request to Immediately Initiate Congressional Hearings on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") and subordinate agencies: the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE"); the Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and the Citizenship and Immigration Service ("CIS") for Allegations of Corruption; Criminal Activity (including murder); Abuse of Authority; Mismanagement; Fraud and Abuse; Cronyism; Nepotism; Favoritism; Obstruction of Justice; Dereliction of Duty; Misuse of Government Funds; Providing False Information/Data and Misleading and Lying to the US Congress and Government Cover-Ups

Honorable future Speaker U.S. House Representative Nancy Pelosi, remember you voted against the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. You were right! Now you have the power to dismantle it.

On November 7, 2007, the American People finally spoke at the ballots by changing our American history.

We, the people of the United States finally changed the course of how our U.S. government will be run for the next two years and hopefully for a long generation.

The 110th Congress is respectfully requested to refer to the stories written by investigative reporters Al Giordano http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/5/24/2 22740/305, and Bill Conroy at http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/billconr oy regarding the above referenced federal agencies. The "House of Death" Murder victims and their families are crying for justice.

To give you an example of the extent of the DHS's problems managing its own agencies, I refer you to Bill Conroy's news reporting exposure on corruption at ICE and other federal agencies, by reading the following introductions of three of his stories:

"National-security trump card played in House of Death cover-up" - By Bill Conroy, Oct 28th, 2006 - Narco News

"U.S. government lawyers have reached for the ultimate weapon in the House of Death mass murder cover-up: National Security.

Once that label is successfully applied to any aspect of the case, it is a sure bet the full truth of the U.S. government's complicity in the murders will forever be suppressed.

And just what is being hidden under the trench coat of national security?

Between August 2003 and mid-January of 2004, a dozen people were kidnapped, tortured, butchered and then buried in the backyard of the House of Death — located at Calle Parsioneros 3633 in Juárez. The killers were Mexican police in league with a narco-trafficker named Heriberto Santillan Tabares, who was a top lieutenant in the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes organization.

The murders were carried out with the help of a U.S. government informant — a former Mexican cop who had attained high standing in Santillan's organization. The informant, Guillermo Ramirez Peyro, was under the watch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in El Paso, Texas.

When the informant's role came to light, after his activities nearly cost the lives of a DEA agent and his family, rather than investigate the callous activities of U.S. law enforcers who allowed the informant to commit murder under government cover, the leadership of the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, chose to bury the facts along with the bodies.

A cover-up was hatched, that continues to this day, and the high-ranking DEA agent, Sandalio Gonzalez, who blew the whistle on the whole sordid affair, became yet another victim of the House of Death — his career ruined in the aftermath of a calculated effort to silence the messenger." http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/10/28/ 203716/40

"DHS, DOJ brass turned a blind eye to House of Death murder, federal prosecutor confirms"
By Bill Conroy, Sep 30th, 2006 - Narco News

"It's official: High-level officials within the departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) did know about the activities of a U.S. government informant who supervised and participated in murder in Juárez, Mexico, and yet they allowed that informant to continue his bloody assignment in what is now known as the House of Death case.

A sworn legal affidavit recently obtained by Narco News that was prepared by the U.S. prosecutor (Juanita Fielden) who oversaw the House of Death case confirms that fact.

Fielden's affidavit is included as an exhibit in a civil rights case filed against U.S. law enforcement officials by the families of the victims in the House of Death mass murder. That case is currently pending in U.S. District Court in El Paso, Texas.

Between August 2003 and mid-January of 2004, a dozen people were kidnapped, tortured and butchered at the House of Death located at Calle Parsioneros 3633 in Juárez. Those murders were carried out with the help of the U.S. government informant, who had penetrated a Juárez cell of the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes' (VCF) narco-trafficking organization.

During the course of those murders, the informant, Guillermo Ramirez Peyro, a former Mexican cop, was under the supervision of federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Fielden was the Assistant U.S. Attorney in El Paso assigned to oversee the case.

When the informant's role came to light publicly, after his activities nearly cost the lives of a DEA agent and his family, rather than investigate the callous actions of U.S. law enforcers who allowed the informant to commit murder under government cover, the fearless leadership at DOJ as well as DHS, which oversees ICE, chose to bury the facts along with the bodies. At least that is the story line conveyed by numerous law enforcement sources who have spoken with Narco News during the course of our coverage of this case.

In fact, prior Narco News reports have shown that Fielden's boss, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, a well-wired guy within the Bush administration, conspired with the head of the DEA, Karen Tandy, to keep the informant's role in the murders out of the press and to assure that a high-ranking DEA agent, Sandalio Gonzalez, was thwarted in his efforts to expose the U.S. government's complicity in the murders. Gonzalez became yet another victim of the House of Death — his career ruined in the aftermath of a calculated effort to silence the messenger.

Up until now, the documents uncovered by Narco News in the House of Death mass murder demonstrate that high-level U.S. government officials, such as Sutton, Tandy and even the U.S. Attorney General, were at least aware of the informant's role in the murders after a dozen bodies were dug up in the back yard of the home in Juarez in early 2004." http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/9/30/1 9315/7364

"DEA veteran claims House of Death informant had license to murder" - By Bill Conroy, Nov 6th, 2006 - Narco News

"Narco News has been covering the House of Death mass murder story for more than two years. From the first story in the series, published in April 2004, law enforcement sources and later public documents have made it clear that a U.S. government informant participated in dozen or more murders in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, with the knowledge of U.S. law enforcers and prosecutors.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for whom the informant (Guillermo Ramirez Peyro) worked, and prosecutors with the Department of Justice, who were charged with trying the case against the narco-trafficker at the center of the House of Death, have continued to either deny their complicity in the murders or simply refuse to comment on the case.

However, yet another document has come to light that supports Narco News' version of the House of Death story and casts serious doubts on the U.S. government's continued whitewashing of the facts in this case.

Even prior to this latest revelation, U.S. law enforcement sources, including Sandalio Gonzalez, the former head of DEA's El Paso, Texas, field office, have contended for some time that Homeland Security and Justice officials have actively worked to cover-up the facts of U.S. government complicity in the murders.

Seemingly adding more weight to the charges of a cover-up, U.S. government attorneys revealed recently in court pleadings related to the House of Death that DEA is considering classifying portions of a critical joint DEA/ICE report about the mass murder case by invoking the cloak of national security.

The families of the victims of the House of Death murders have filed a lawsuit alleging that ICE officials and the lead prosecutor in the House of Death case violated their constitutional rights. That litigation is currently pending in federal court in El Paso, which is just across the Rio Grande River from Juarez.

Recently, in that case, an affidavit was filed by a former high-level DEA agent, who previously served as the head of the agency's Dallas field office and as head of DEA's El Paso Intelligence Center. The former agent, Phil Jordan, and his experiences, including the murder of his brother as a result of a suspected narco-trafficker payback, are the subject of a book called "Down by the River," penned by Charles Bowden. The book is considered a seminal work on the drug war and its pernicious and bloody reach across both sides of the border.

Jordan's affidavit is a new and crucial document because it brings sharply into focus what Narco News has been reporting on the House of Death mass murder for years now. As a result, we now wish to share his testimony, provided under oath, in its entirety with you kind readers.

(Information in the affidavit below that is contained in [brackets has been added by Narco News for background purposes. ICE officials mentioned in the affidavit are identified by the titles they held at the time the House of Death played out in 2003 and early 2004.)" http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/11/6/2 11332/229

Reference to all of the Government Accountability Office ("GAO") reports dealing with DHS and its agencies: http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/app_processform.php?a pp_id=docdblite_agency&page=All

Reference to all of the DHS' Office of Inspector General reports dealing with DHS and its agencies: http://www.dhs.gov/xoig/rpts/

Another book I highly recommend you to read is written by DHS' former Inspector General Clark Kent Ervin titled: Open Target: "Where America Is Vulnerable to Attack" - Book Description:

"After September 11th, longtime Bush friend and aide Clark Kent Ervin was hand-picked from the State Department to be the first Inspector General of the newly created Department of Homeland Securitycharged with making America safe again. Based on shocking first-hand experiences during his tenure and the disturbing developments since his departure, Open Target is Ervins explosive account of how little prepared we are today and how far we have to go to protect ourselves from future terrorist attacks. Ervin talks candidly for the first time about how he was pressured by top leaders to sugarcoat his findings and how his refusal to spin the truth and toe the party line ultimately led to his forced departure. He shows where we are today, laying out our nations biggest vulnerabilities, and offers solutions for a department in disarray. Ervins revealing page-turner includes: Behind locked doors conversations with top leaders who pressured him to put a positive spin on his negative findings The disturbing reality that air travelers are almost as unsafe today as they were on 9/11 and that nothing has been done to secure mass transit The gaping holes in border security that can allow terrorists to sneak into the country The flaws in port security that could spell nuclear disaster His stunning conclusion about the DHS and intelligence communitywhich means that it could be the last to know the next time theres a plot to attack us How wasteful spending impacts the effectiveness of the department and the security of the homeland." (Amazon.com) http://www.amazon.com/Open-Target-America-Vulnerab le-Attack/dp/1403972885

If after you have reviewed the above referenced reports, you would like to read what I, a retired 30-year of law enforcement working experience and a non-professional journalist or investigative reporter has written for NarcoNews.com, my reports can be found at: http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/miguelco ntreras

The 110th Congress is respectfully requested, to be held accountable those public officials found to be responsible for committing said offenses and to render justice where justice is due.

Time after time the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Michael Chertoff has ignored his own Inspector General's investigative and Audit Reports and recommendations (changes) regarding ICE, CBP, CIS and other subordinate agencies. For example the DHS-OIG found that there were problems at ICE with its disciplinary process. As usual, there was no reaction and no response from Mr. Michael Chertoff.

DHS, ICE, CBP, and CIS seem to be out of control spending billions of dollars in tax payers monies in projects that because of "national security concerns" we are not allowed to know where all this money is going.

DHS, ICE, CBP, and CIS keeps rewarding inept managers and supervisors who are found guilty of discrimination, incompetence (mismanagement) or with disciplinary actions by transferring or promoted them at our tax-payers expenses. All while low-ranking employees are severly disciplined for mistakes or errors that if committed by management and supervisors are ignored or condoned by the agency's leadership; and/or if committed by employees of other federal agencies result only with a supervisor doing his job by constructively correcting an employee's deficiencies without initiating a disciplinary process.

Those of us who have reported corruption by our own U.S. agency's leaders have become targets of "botched" internal investigations and have paid very high prices for doing our duty.

The same has taken place at the DOJ, FBI, DEA, and OSC: the respective administrators have acted with arrogance and disregard for the average Federal employee and our American Society as a whole. As you review what Bill Conroy has reported, you will discover that the "House of Death" Juarez, Mexico murders cover-up involves Attorney General Alfonso Gonzales, U.S. Attorney Johnnie Sutton of San Antonio, TX, the DEA and possibly the FBI.

"Decency, security, and liberty alike demand that government officials shall be subjected to the same rules of conduct that are commands to the citizen. In a government of laws, existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that in the administration of the criminal law the end justifies the means--to declare that the government may commit crimes in order to secure the conviction of a private criminal--would bring terrible retribution. Against that pernicious doctrine this court should resolutely set its face." - Mr. Justice Brandies of the U.S. Supreme Court in Olmstead V. United States, 277 U.S. 438 (1928)

To All Concerned and Affected Federal employees and American Citizens:

It is requested that every concerned and affected Federal employee and American Citizen forward a copy of this open letter to their local U. S. Senator and U.S. House of Representative in support of this request for U.S. Congressional Hearings to be held on the above listed federal agencies, departments and bureaus and voice also your personal concern. Please also send it to your local newspaper. You don't have to wait until the 110th Congress is in place. You know who were the winners on this 2006 national election and who will be your US Senator and US House of Representative in the 110th US Congress.

How to Contact Your Local U.S. House of Representative:

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

How to Contact Your Local U.S. Senator:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/general/one_item_ and_teasers/contacting.htm

God Bless America!

Miguel Angel Contreras, PhD
Honorably Retired ICE Special Agent