T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pane l unani m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l ar g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T AN A CRI ST INA M URI LL O- M ENDEZ, P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R J r ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 07- 70790 A ge nc yN o. A 097- 742- 471 ME MOR AN DU M *

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the B o ar do f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls S ubm i tt e d J anuary11, 2010 ** B efo re: B E E Z E R , T R O T T , A N D B Y B E E , C i rcu i tJu d g es. A naC r i s t i naM ur i l l o- M e nde z , ana t i ve and c i t i z e n of H ondur a s , pe t i t i ons f

or re vi ew of the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s’ (“ B IA ”) order di sm i ss i ng her app ea l f r o m an i mmi g r a t i o n j u d g e ’ s d e c i s i o n d e n y i n g h e rap p l i c a t i o n f o ra s y l u m, w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l, an dr e lie f

u n d e rth e C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rtu r e ( “C A T ” ) . W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on unde r8 U . S . C . § 1252. W e r e vi e w que s t i ons of l aw de novo, 

# FI LED JAN 19 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

an df a c tu a l f in d in g s f o rs ub s tan tia l e v id e n c e . See A gu i lar G on zalezv. Mukasey , 5 3 4 F . 3 d1 2 0 4 , 1 2 0 8 ( 9 th C i r . 2 0 0 8 ) . We d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. S ubs t ant i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the B I A ’ s de ni a l of M ur i l l o- M e nde z ’ s a s y l um and w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l c l a i m s be c aus e s he f a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h tha ts he w a s or w o u ldb e p e r s e c u te do n a c c o u n t o f ap r o te c te dg r o u n d . See O choa v. G on zales , 4 0 6 F .3 d1 1 6 6 , 1 1 7 0 -7 2 (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 5 ). M u rill o -M en d ez ’s re p o rtin g o f th e g an g ’s c r im in a l a c tiv ityto th e p o lic e d o e s n o t c o n s titu te e x p r e s s io n o f ap o litic a l o p in io n . See Sori an o v. H

older , 569 F . 3d 1162, 1164- 65 ( 9th C i r . 2009) ( oppos i ng o r g an iz e dc r im e b yin f

o rm in g p o lic e ab o u t tw o in d iv idu a ls ’ c r im in a l a c tiv itie s is n o t e x p r e s s io n o f

p o litic a l o p in io n ) . F u rth e r , e v e n if M u r illo - M e n d e z ’s f

a m ily qua l i f i e s a s a“ s oc i a l gr oup, ” the e vi de nc e doe s notc om pe l ac onc l us i on tha tthe gang’ s c r i m i na l a c t i vi t i e s vi c t i m i z i ng M ur i l l o- M e nde z ’ s f a m i l ym e m be r s and th r e a te n in g M u r illo - M e n d e z w e r e m o tiv a te db yh e rf a m ilia l r e la tio n s h ip . Se e I NS v . E l i as - Zac ar i as , 50 2 U . S . 47 8, 48 2-84 (199 2). S ubs t ant i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the de ni a l of C A T r e l i e f

be c aus e M ur i l l oM e nde z f

a i l e d t o de m ons tr a t e tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l ythan nottha ts he w i l l be to rtu r e db yo ra t th e a c q u ie s c e n c e o f th e H o n du r an g o v e rn m e n t if s h e r e tu rn s to H o n du r a s . Se e Zh e n gv . A s h c r o ft , 33 2 F . 3d 11 86 , 11 88 , 11 97 (9th C i r. 20 03 ). P E T I T I ON F OR RE V I E W DE NI E D.