Washington – Rep. Bob Beauprez wants to cut off $66 million in foreign aid to Mexico if it doesn’t start making it easier to extradite people charged with killing U.S. police officers.
The Arvada Republican is drafting legislation that would cut off foreign aid to any country that doesn’t honor its extradition treaty with the United States regarding suspects in the murder of police officers.
The legislation was prompted by the case of Raul Gomez-Garcia, who fled to Mexico after allegedly killing Denver police Detective Donald “Donnie” Young on May 8.
“This case is pretty egregious,” Beauprez said. “As any parent knows, you put your kid on an allowance, they break the rules of the house, you hold back some of the allowance.”
Officials at the Mexican Embassy declined to comment.
Last year, the United States sent nearly $72 million in foreign aid to Mexico. This year, the Bush administration requested more than $66 million.
Beauprez is drafting language with Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. They plan to try to attach the legislation to a foreign-aid spending bill expected to come to the floor in the next few weeks.
Beauprez says his complaint is not with Mexico’s refusal to extradite suspects if they face the death penalty, which is covered by the U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty. He is upset that Mexican courts extended that refusal “unilaterally” to include suspects facing life without parole.
California lawmakers introduced resolutions in 2003 calling for the treaty to be renegotiated after a Mexican national allegedly killed a sheriff’s deputy and fled across the border. But the resolution didn’t pass Congress or get the treaty re negotiated.
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey has taken the death penalty off the table in trying to bring Gomez-Garcia back for trial. But in the California case, the district attorney won’t give up the death penalty as an option and extradition is stalled.
Staff writer Mike Soraghan can be reached at 202-662-8730 or msoraghan@denverpost.com.
