N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
R IC ARDO ANTONIO ANGEL, Pe titione r, v. LORETTA E. LYNC H, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R

e sponde n t . No. 13-70878 Age n c y No. A094-245-823 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 Argue d a nd Subm itte d Fe brua

ry 9, 2016 Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : B ER

Z ON, DAVIS ** , a

nd OW ENS, C irc uit Judge s. R ic ardo Antonio Ange l c ha lle nge s the IJ a n d B IA’ s de te rm i nation tha t he is a pe rse c utor a

nd the re fore not e ntitle d to spe c ia l rule c a nc e lla tion of re m ova l unde r the N ic ara gua

n Adjustm e nt a

n d C e ntra l Am e ric an R e l ie f Ac t (“ NAC AR A” ). Se e 8 C .F.R . § 1240.60 e t se q . 

# FIL ED FEB 23 2016 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S
. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t 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 Honora

ble Andre M . Dav is, Se nior C irc uit Judgefor the U.S. C ourt of Appe a ls for the Fourth C irc uit, sitting by de signa tion.An a

pplic a nt se e king NAC AR

A re l ie f “ m

ust not . . . be

an a lie n de sc ribe d in [8 U.S.C . § 1231(b)(3)(B )(i)] .” 8 C .F.R . § 1240.66(a). Se c tion 1231(b)(3)(B )(i) pre c lude s re lie f to those a lie ns who “ orde re d, inc ite d, a ssiste d, or othe rwise pa rtic i pate d in the pe rse c ution of a n individual be c a

use of the individual’ s ra c e , re ligion, na

tiona l i ty , m e m

be rship in a

pa rtic u l ar soc ia l group, or politic a l opinion.” B e c a use the re c ord “ indic at e d” tha t the pe rse c utor ba

r m ay a pply to Ange l, he bore the b urde n of proving tha t it did not a

pply
. 8 C .F.R . §§ 1240.8(d), 1240.64(a ); se e Miranda Alv

arado v . Gonzale

s , 449 F.3d 915, 930, 932–33 (9th C ir. 2006). Ange l urge s tha

t he did not “ a ssist” in the pe rse c ution be c a use his a c tions we re not suffic ie ntly inte gra l to the pe rse c ution to re nde r him a pe rse c utor. W e c onc lude , howe ve r, tha

t a lthough Ange l wa s not “ pre se nt a n d a c tive ” during the pe rse c ution, his c onduc t wa s suffic ie ntly m at e ria l to the pe rse c ution tha t he fa ile d to ove rc om e his burde n to show hewa s not a pe rse c utor. Miranda Alv arado , 449 F.3d at 918, 928–29. He

arre ste d gue rrilla s a

nd c onduc te d initia l inte rvie ws with the m ; he the n turne d the gue rrilla s ove r to his supe riors, knowing his supe riors would torturethe m . Although Ange l m a inta ins tha t the re c o rd doe s not de finitive ly

e sta blish tha t he le arne d of the torture while still e nga g e d in the arre sting a

nd turning over of gue rrilla s to the torture rs, the infe re nc e from his te stim ony tha t he did is a

strong one , a

nd the a ge n c y

wa s e ntitle d to m ake it.
2Ange l a lso m a inta i ns tha t the pe rse c utor ba

r doe s not a

pply be c a u se he did not providea ssista

nc e on a c c ount of politic a l opinion; ra the r, he pa

rtic ipate d a s a m e m b e r of the m ilita

ry and the re fore his a c tions we re “ on a c c ount of” the ge ne ra l c ivil disc o rd oc c urring within the c onte xt of El Sa lva dor’ s c ivil wa r. Se e id. at 930–31; Matte r of Rodrigue z-Majano , 19 I. & N. De c . 811, 816 (B IA 1988). Ange l ’ s a rgum e nt m isse s the m ark. What m a tte rs is not his m otiva t ion, but inste a d the m otiva

t ion of thosee ffe c ting the pe rse c ution— his supe riors. Se e Miranda Alv a rado , 449 F.3d a

t 930–32. Ange l ha s not shown (or e ve n a rgue d) tha

t his supe riors we re m otiva

te d by som e thing othe r tha

n politic a l opinion. He ha s, the re fore , not m e t his burde n to show tha t the pe rse c utor ba

r doe s not a

pply
. Se e id. at 930. PE T IT IO N DE NIE D.

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