[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H6313]]
          THE KILLER OF BORDER AGENT LUIS AGUILAR IS RELEASED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, in January, Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar 
was tracking drug smugglers on the Mexican-U.S. border. A Hummer 
apparently carrying drugs crossed into the United States and tried to 
flee back to Mexico when Aguilar and other Border Patrol agents gave 
pursuit. Aguilar got in front of the Hummer at some distance and he put 
spikes in the road of retreat, but the Hummer, rather than go over the 
spikes, drove off the road, ran over and killed Aguilar, and fled back 
to Mexico.
  The driver was Jesus Navarro Montes. And he fled to Mexico, ditched 
the Hummer with some friends, but was arrested by Mexican authorities 3 
days later and charged with certain offenses.

                              {time}  1900

  Now, Mr. Speaker, the facts get a little messy. Montes is the only 
suspect in the murder of Aguilar, but he has recently been released 
from jail in Mexico. Some Mexican authorities say he was not in jail 
for the murder but unrelated smuggling charges. Even so, he was not 
tried for those charges even though he waited in jail for 6 months.
  Mexico also says that the United States has failed to file 
extradition papers from the United States to Mexico requesting the 
extradition of this individual Montes. Extradition papers are a legal 
requirement between countries to bring criminals from one country to 
another. It's been 6 months, Mr. Speaker, and certainly those papers 
should have been filed some time ago.
  Our Justice Department, however, refuses to comment on whether 
extradition was requested or the papers were filed. This is a bit odd 
and curious why our government won't say whether or not they even filed 
the appropriate paperwork and what the problem is. Did our government 
fail to file this simple paperwork? And if so, people in our government 
ought to be fired. This is inexcusable. And if Mexican authorities 
released prematurely, Mexico has some explaining to do as well. There 
is obviously incompetence in somebody's government regarding the 
release of this individual.
  Meanwhile Navarro Montes is running lose somewhere in Mexico, 
laughing at both governments and probably still smuggling drugs into 
the United States. The Aguilar family still weeps, and they are waiting 
for justice for the death and murder of their loved one.
  Mr. Speaker, this ought not to be. Our government should be as 
concerned about prosecuting drug smugglers that murder American Border 
Patrol protectors as they are about relentless prosecuting border 
agents like Ramos and Compean that were doing their job when charged 
with violating the civil rights of a drug smuggler on the border. We 
need some answers, Mr. Speaker, and not blissful silence and excuses 
from our government. Navarro Montes needs a trial so that justice can 
prevail because justice is what we do in this country.
  And that's just the way it is.

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