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 una ni 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). JLA / R es ear ch 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 A L E J A N D R O G A R C I A B E N I T E Z , a .k .a P edro R aul M art i nez, 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- 73866 A ge nc yN o. A 073- 445- 638 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 F e bruary16, 2010 ** B e f o r e : F E RN A N D E Z , G O U L D , an dM . S M I T H , C ir c u it Ju d g e s . A l e j andr o G ar c i aB e ni t e z , ana t i ve a nd c i t i z e n of M e xi c o, pe t i t i ons f

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

# FI LED FEB 23 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSJ LA/ Res ea r ch 07- 73866 2 w ith h o ld in g o f

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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 ” ) . We h a v e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r8 U. S . C . § 1 2 5 2 . We r e v i e w d e n o v o q u e s t i o n s o f l aw, C er ez o v. Mukasey , 51 2 F . 3d 11 63 , 11 66 (9th C i r. 20 08 ), exce ptt o the ext entthat de f e r e nc e i s ow e d t o the B I A ’ s de t e rm i na t i on of the gove rni ng s t a tut e s a nd r e g u la tio n s , S im e o n o vv . A s h c r o ft , 37 1 F . 3d 53 2, 53 5 (9th C i r. 20 04 ). W e r evi ew f 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 . Zehat ye v. G on zales , 453 F . 3d 1182, 1 1 8 4 - 8 5 ( 9 th C i r . 2 0 0 6 ) . We d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. T he op eni ng bri ef

do es no tchal l enge the agency’ s f i nd i ng thatG ar ci aB e ni t e z ’ s a s y l um appl i c a t i on w a s t i m e - barr e d. W e r e j e c tG ar c i a - B e ni t e z ’ s c ont e nt i on tha the w a s pe r s e c ut e d on a c c ountof h is m e m b e r s h ip in ap r o te c te dc la s s . See A rteaga v. Mukasey , 511 F . 3d 940, 945- 4 6 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) ; s e e a l s o Sa n c h ez - Tr u

j i l lo v . I NS , 801 F . 2d 1571, 1573, 1576- 77 (9th C i r. 19 86 ). F urtherm ore, subst ant i alevi dence s up po rt s the IJ ’ s f i nd i ng s that G a r c i a - B e ni t e z f

a i l e d t o pr ovi de a n obj e c t i ve ba s i s f orf utur e f e arof pe r s e c ut i on, se e Fakhry v . Mukasey , 52 4 F . 3d 10 57 , 10 65 -66 (9th C i r. 20 08 ), and thatG ar ci aB e n ite z c o u ldr e lo c a te w ith in M e x ic o , se e 8 C . F . R . § 208. 13( b) ( 3) ( i ) ( i n the abse nce of pas tpers ec ut i on , pet i t i on erbear s the bu rden of show i ng thati nt ernal r e lo c a tio n is u n r e a s o n ab le ) .J LA/ Res ea r ch 07- 73866 3 B e c aus e the r e i s no e vi de nc e tha the w oul d be t ortur e d byorw i th the a c q u ie s c e n c e o f

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f ic ia l, G ar c ia - B e n ite z h a s n o t d e m o n s tr a te dh is e lig ib ilityf

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. See Si laya v. Mukasey , 52 4 F . 3d 10 66 , 10 73 (9th C i r. 20 08 ). P E T I T I ON F OR RE V I E W DE NI E D.