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Long time Chicano activist based in Los Angeles, Carlos Montes, faced a trial on Tuesday June 5th that ended in what he and his supporters called a victory. Montes was charged with four felonies involving the purchase of a gun. If convicted Montes could have faced up to 12 years in prison. The case against him was initiated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI after his home was raided more than a year ago, on May 17th 2011, by the LA Sheriffs Department in conjunction with the FBI. In exchange for pleading no contest to one count of perjury, the judge agreed to drop the other three felonies. The agreement includes 3 years of probation and community service, and no prison time for Carlos Montes.

Montes and his supporters firmly believe that the charges were spurious and meant to single him out for his activism against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His supporters launched a national campaign to urge Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley to drop all charges against Montes. I spoke yesterday with Carlos Montes within hours of his campaign declaring victory in the first exclusive interview he gave.

GUEST: Carlos Montes, long-time Chicano anti-war activist