Mark Conrad, is a former regional supervisor with U.S. Customs and a current candidate for a top post within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is the parent agency of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He also is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Troy University in Dothan, Alabama.

His comments, sent to Narco News via e-mail, follow below. But first, some background to put Conrad’s comments in context.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Juanita Fielden and ICE supervisor Curtis Compton are both defendants in a lawsuit filed in federal court in El Paso by the family of Luis Padilla, who was tortured and murdered in the House of Death in Ciudad Juárez. Padilla, 29 at the time of his death, was a resident of El Paso and left behind a wife and three small children.

In addition to Fielden and Compton, the litigation seeks unspecified damages against the following defendants: ICE officials Giovanni Gaudioso, Patricia Kramer and Raul Bencomo – who, like Fielden and Compton, all worked in El Paso at the time of the House of Death murders and allegedly had varying levels of complicity in the whole sordid affair, according to the lawsuit and other sources.

Michael Garcia, the DHS assistant secretary who oversees ICE, also is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Garcia is now the Bush administration's leading candidate for the U.S. Attorney's post in Manhattan.

The irony of that fact is not likely lost on the Padilla family.

"Apathy, marred by incompetence characterized the operations run by ICE and the United States Attorney’s office in El Paso. Yet the facts would reveal that both agencies were consciously aware of the ongoing killings,” the Padilla family's lawsuit contends.

The lawsuit lays out the details of Padilla’s murder as follows:

On or about January 8th, 2004 … (ICE informant) Contreras and his cohorts targeted a courier for the “carne asada” or barbeque. The reference is meant to signify the usual abduction, torture, and killing. Santillan (a top lieutenant in Vicente Carrillo Fuentes’ Juárez drug organization) ordered Contreras to prepare a carne asada for the targeted courier or “mule.”

But as usual, others were abducted along with the target. Making a day trip to Juárez, Luis Padilla, an El Paso resident, was also taken. A victim of the Contreras hit squad, Padilla was never again seen by his family. In an attempt to leave no trace, Padilla and the target were killed by Contreras and the cartel. His mutilated body was eventually identified at the Parsioneros house in Juárez.

Following is Conrad’s comment:

Bill -- it is despicable what the U.S. Attorney is doing in San Antonio. I do not care how much sugar he puts on shit -- it ruins the sugar and does not do anything for the shit.

My sources told me ... that the agents in the El Paso field office feel betrayed because this is designed to protect Curtis Compton (and by extension) the AUSA (Fielden) directly involved.

This will probably take me out of any contention for an appointment in Homeland Security but this would not be allowed to stand on my watch. I hope that (DHS) Secretary Chertoff understands the seriousness of this and cleans house. This rot is spreading and it will not be cleansed without the harsh disinfectant of sunshine.

It is incredible to me that this can happen in this country.

And yes, you can quote me on this.

Also, I have no objection to you listing my eMail address at Troy. It would be interesting to see what responses/comments come my way.

That address is mconrad@troy.edu.