Drug smuggler denied bond

By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times

Article Launched: 12/13/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

Admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who is at the center of a national controversy over the conviction of two El Paso Border Patrol agents, was denied bond Monday by a federal judge in El Paso, court documents showed.

Aldrete, who faces drug conspiracy and possession charges, was ordered detained without bond because "there is a serious risk that the defendant will not appear," according to the detention order signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard P. Mesa.

"The potential sentence is severe, the defendant is a citizen of Mexico without legal permission to reside in the United States, the defendant has significant familial ties to Mexico and it is likely, if convicted, the defendant will be deported from the United States," Mesa wrote.

If convicted, Aldrete faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison.