[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H2210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENTS RAMOS AND COMPEAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Holt). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today is the 49th day since 
two U.S. Border Patrol Agents entered Federal prison. Agents Ramos and 
Compean were convicted last spring for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler 
who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across our borders into Texas.
  These agents never should have been sent to prison. There are 
legitimate legal questions about how this prosecution was initiated and 
how the prosecutor's office proceeded in this case.
  To prosecute the agents, the U.S. Attorney's Office granted immunity 
to the known drug smuggler. Homeland Security officials promised 
Members of Congress information about this case, then they could not 
provide the information. Recently, reports indicated that the 
prosecutors in this case may have withheld crucial evidence from the 
defense. Mr. Speaker, I am going to repeat that. Recently, reports 
indicated that the prosecutors in this case may have withheld crucial 
evidence from the defense.
  Drug Enforcement Agency reports have revealed that the Mexican drug 
smuggler brought a second load of marijuana, 752 pounds, into the 
United States. In fact, Mr. Speaker, this drug smuggler is not an 
American citizen, and he is suing the Border Patrol for $5 million. 
But, Mr. Speaker, the information I just mentioned, this information 
was kept from the jury and the public.
  Mr. Speaker, I have sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman John 
Conyers asking for hearings on this case and, Mr. Speaker, other 
Members have made the same request of the chairman. And knowing the 
chairman to be a fair-minded person, I hope that he will hold hearings 
on this prosecutor in west Texas and how he looked into this case and 
brought this case to the jury, because, again, these Border Agents are 
heroes. They are not convicts; they are heroes.
  Over the past 6 months, dozens of Members of Congress have asked the 
President to pardon these agents. I myself have sent five letters to 
the President asking that he pardon these two agents. They are heroes 
of this country. They should not be in Federal prison.
  Mr. President, we are calling on you to listen to the American people 
and to the thousands of citizens who have petitioned you to pardon 
these men. It is time for justice to prevail over an injustice.

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