Border agents' sentences commuted

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- George W. Bush, on his last full day as U.S. president, Monday commuted sentences of two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a drug-smuggling suspect.

Bush also faced pressure to issue blanket pardons to interrogators accused of torturing terror suspects, Politico reported Monday.

Newsweek, citing two White House officials, said Monday Bush has decided not to pardon Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in 2007 in connection with leaking the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame.

Bush in July 2007 commuted Libby's two and a half year prison sentence in the case.

The commutation for Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean means the conviction will remain on the record of the former Border Patrol agents, but they will be released this year instead of serving their 11-year and 12-year sentences, respectively, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release.

The agents were convicted of wounding Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks in February 2005 as he allegedly ran from a truck containing 743 pounds of marijuana near Fabens, Texas. Prosecutors argued that the agents shot an unarmed and fleeing suspect and then failed to report they fired their weapons.

The terms of the commutation for both direct that the sentences expire March 20, leave intact the three-year term of supervised release and a fine of $2,000 each.

While Bush hasn't shown an inclination of issuing blanket pardons, he could move quickly to immunize CIA and military interrogators and their bosses from criminal prosecution over treatment of prisoners, Politico said. Sources told the Washington publication Bush is facing calls for pardons from conservative allies.

Also, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's spokesman said the Alaska Republican also asked the White House to pardon former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Stevens, a Republican, was convicted Oct. 27 of seven felony charges of failing to disclose gifts and services he received from 2000 to 2006. In November, Alaska voters turned him out of office after 40 years in the Senate. Stevens is seeking a new trial, alleging prosecutorial misconduct, juror misconduct and other issues.