N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
JOSE AB R

AHAM M ARM OL B ER NAB E, Pe titione r, v. LORETTA E. LYNC H, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R

e sponde n t . No. 12-71997 Age n c y No. A029-217-336 M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Subm itte d August 4, 2015 ** Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : D.W . NELSON, SILVER M AN, a nd WA RDLAW , C irc uit Judge s. Jose M arm ol B e rna

be , a native and c itiz e n of El Sa lva dor, pe titions for re vie w of the B oa

rd of Im m igration Appe a ls’ de c ision a ffirm ing the Im m igration Judge ’ s de nia l of his a

p plic ation for a sy l um , withholding of re m ova l, re lie f unde r 

# FIL ED AUG 24 2015 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S
. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3. ** The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).the C onve ntion Aga inst Torture , a nd c anc e lla

tion of re m ova l unde r the Nic a ra gua n Adjustm e nt a

nd C e ntra l Am e ric an R e lie f Ac t. W e hav e jurisdic tion pursua nt to 8 U.S.C . § 1252, a

nd we de ny

the pe tition for re v ie w . Substa ntia l e v i de nc e supports the B IA’ s c onc lusion tha

t the pe rse c utor ba

r a pplie s, re nde ring B e rna

be ine ligiblefor re lie f from re m ova l. 1 Se e N

uru v . Gonzale s , 404 F.3d 1207, 1215 (9th C ir. 2005); se e also 8 U.S.C . § 1231(b)(3)(B )(i); 8 C .F.R . §§ 1208.13(c )(2)(i)(E), 1208.16(d)(2), 1240.66(a ). The B IA c orre c tly

c onc lude d tha

t B e rna be ’ s c onduc t

e s ta blishe d tha

t he wa s

“ individual[ly ] a c c ounta

b[le ] ” for the a c tions hetook a s a m e m be r of the Nationa l Polic e . Miranda Alv

arado v . Gonzale

s , 449 F.3d 915, 926 (9th C i r. 2006) (inte rna l c ita tion a nd quota t ion m a rks om itte d). During his tim e in the Nat iona l Polic e , B e rna be arre ste d gue rrilla s and wa s re sponsiblefor ta king the ir de c la

rations a nd pre p aring a

re port tha

t wa s give n to his superiors. B e rna b e sta t e d in his sworn sta te m e nt to Im

m igration Offic e r Frank Fa e c ke tha t he kne w a

rre ste e s re porte d a s unc oope ra tive would be“ ha ndle [d] ” by his boss, who “ ha d pe ople from

the spe c ia l group pre pa

re d to forc e the prisone r to ta lk.” B e rna b e c onfirm e d in his sworn sta te m e nt tha

t the spe c ia l group, in turn, would “ m istre at [prisone rs] to ge t the

1 The pe rse c utor ba

r doe s not a

p ply to a pplic at ions for de fe rra l of re m ova l unde r C AT. 8 C .F.R . § 1208.17(a). Howe ve r, B e rna be e xpre ssly

wa ive d his de fe rra l of re m ova l c la im in his ope ning brie f. 2truth.” He furthe r state d tha t the spe c ia l group “ ha d a gym whe re [it] hung the suspe c ts a nd ga ve the m e le c tric shoc k.” B e rna

be ’ s a c t ions e xc e e de d m e re m e m b e rship in the

Nationa l Polic e , and we re instrum e nta l to the pe rse c ution of those whom

he arre ste d. S

e e id. at 928; se e also Fe dore nk o v . Unite d State

s , 449 U.S. 490, 512 n.34 (1981) (disc ussing wha

t kind of c onduc t “ fits within the sta tutory la ngua ge a bout pe rsons who a ssiste d in the pe rse c ution of c i vilia ns” ). The IJ did not e rr in we ighing thea sy lum offic e r's te stim ony and the sta te m e n ts in B e rna be 's sworn sta

te m e nt ove r B e rna

be 's te stim ony

at his re m ova l he aring. Substa ntia l e vide nc e supports the IJ's c onc lusion tha

t nothing in the re c ord indic ate s tha

t the a sy l um

offic e r wa s not c re dible and tha t B e rna be ' s atte m pt to dista nc e him se lf from

his e arlie r state m e nts onc e he wa s be fore the IJ wa s

" disinge nuous," sinc e by

tha t tim e B e rna

be kne w tha

t he c ould be de nie d

a sy lum on the ba sis of thepe rse c utor ba r. The B IA a lso c orre c tly

c onc lude d tha

t B e rna be fa ile d to de m onstra

t e tha t any “ s urrounding c irc um sta

n c e s” m ilita

te d a ga inst thec onc lusion tha t he wa s a pe rse c utor. Miranda Alv

arado , 449 F.3d a

t 926 (c iting Vuk

mirov ic v . Ashc roft , 362 F.3d 1247, 1252-53 (9th C ir. 2004)). B e rna be ha s not a

rgue d, m u c h le ss de m onstra

te d, tha t his a c tions we re m otiva

te d by se lf-de fe nse or a

ny othe r e xte nuating c irc um sta

nc e s. R athe r, B e rna

be te stifie d

tha t he volunta

rily joine d the 3Nationa l Polic e , a nd during his tim

e in tha t orga niz ation, volunte e re d for a spe c ia l se rvic e position gua

rding the pre side ntia l hom e . Pe tition DE N IE D.

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