[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H2641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HEARING REQUESTED ON RAMOS AND COMPEAN PROSECUTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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 I had the pleasure of 
meeting with Congressman John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee. I shared with him information from myself and other Members 
of Congress who are requesting a hearing on the case of Border Patrol 
Agents Ramos and Compean.
  Many of us in Congress are concerned about the Federal prosecutor in 
this case and his decision to bring criminal charges against these 
agents. Agents Ramos and Compean were convicted last spring for 
shooting a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana 
across our border into Texas.
  These agents never should have been sent to prison, yet today is 
their 62nd day behind bars. There are legitimate legal questions about 
how this prosecution was initiated, and how the U.S. Attorney's Office 
proceeded in this case. Members of Congress and the American people 
want to know why the Federal prosecutor is on the wrong side in this 
case.
  To prosecute the agents, the U.S. Attorney's Office granted immunity 
to a known drug smuggler. He is not an American citizen, he is a 
criminal. Drug enforcement reports have confirmed that the Mexican drug 
smuggler brought a second load of marijuana, 752 pounds, into the 
United States after he was granted immunity to testify against our 
border agents, but this information was kept from the jury and the 
public.
  Mr. Speaker, I am certain that Chairman Conyers will review the 
information that I and other Members of Congress have brought to his 
attention concerning the prosecution of these two heroes.
  Before closing, I ask the President to use his authority and pardon 
these two Hispanic Americans who were doing their job to protect the 
American people; and, more importantly, I call on the President to 
listen to the American people and to the thousands of citizens who have 
asked for a pardon for these two men.

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