[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H4027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DO NOT FORGET IMPRISONED TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

  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 is the 98th day since 
a great injustice took place in this country. On January 17, 2007, two 
U.S. Border Patrol agents entered Federal prison to begin serving 11 
and 12 year sentences respectively.
  Agents Compean and Ramos 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 prosecuted, yet 
the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the agents and granted immunity 
to the drug smuggler, who claimed he was unarmed. The illegal drug 
smuggler received full medical care in El Paso, Texas, was permitted to 
return to Mexico, and is suing the Border Patrol for $5 million for 
violating his civil rights.
  Mr. Speaker, he is not an American citizen. He is a criminal.
  The same U.S. Attorney's Office in western Texas also prosecuted 
another law enforcement officer, Deputy Sheriff Gilmer Hernandez, who 
was doing his job to protect the American people. This makes no sense. 
Citizens across this country and many of us in Congress want to know 
why does the Federal prosecutor in western Texas choose to go after law 
enforcement officers while protecting illegal aliens who commit crimes.
  The American people have not forgotten agents Ramos and Compean, who 
should never have been sentenced to jail. Instead, they should be 
commended for trying to protect the American people. I encourage 
citizens across this country to continue calling the White House and 
asking the President to use his authority to immediately pardon these 
two heroes.
  Many of us in Congress are concerned about the Federal prosecutor in 
this case and the justification for the criminal charges brought 
against these agents. Senate Judiciary chairman Patrick Leahy has 
already approved Senator Dianne Feinstein's request for an 
investigation of this case; and just last week in testimony before the 
Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Gonzales responded to 
Senator John Cornyn's call for an oversight hearing by promising to 
fully cooperate.
  Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that the House, under the leadership of 
House Judiciary chairman John Conyers, will soon hold hearings to look 
into this injustice.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that the House will continue to encourage the 
chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers, to look into this 
case, and I ask the American people to continue to call the White House 
and to complain about this injustice.

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