[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 27 (Thursday, March 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION ON 
                          ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                               SPEECH OF

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2004

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
honoring the men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 
on its 30th Anniversary. The DEA has played a vital role in the battle 
against the drug epidemic in our country.
  Before being elected to Congress, I was a federal law enforcement 
officer in the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for 26\1/2\ 
years. Twelve of those years were spent as El Paso Sector Chief of the 
United States Border Patrol. One of the most important and most 
dangerous missions I had in the Border Patrol was the interdiction of 
illegal narcotics. I had the opportunity to work closely with the DEA 
in that mission, and can personally attest to the hard work, dedication 
and professionalism of DEA personnel.
  Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to represent the city of El Paso, 
Texas, a border town in the western-most tip of Texas. This area plays 
a critical role in our country's war on drugs. Last April my colleague 
Mr. Souder of Indiana, who is the sponsor of the resolution before us 
today, held a field hearing in my district to highlight the impact of 
drug trade in our area. Mr. Sandy Gonzalez, DEA Special Agent in Charge 
in El Paso, was a witness at this hearing.
  As one might imagine, DEA has a significant presence in my district. 
The DEA-led El Paso Intelligence Center, or EPIC, was established by 
the Department of Justice in 1974 as an intelligence service center to 
be staffed by representatives of the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service (INS), U.S. Customs Service and DEA. Initially, EPIC focused on 
the U.S.-Mexico border and its primary interest was drug movement and 
immigration violations. Today, EPIC has the same mission, but has 
broadened its scope to include all of the United States and the entire 
Western Hemisphere.
  Mr. Speaker, I can personally attest to the value of the DEA in El 
Paso. I urge every Member of this House to join me in congratulating 
the DEA for 30 years of service in our country.

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