[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22293]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  PROSECUTION OF TWO U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENTS: URGING A PRESIDENTIAL 
                                 PARDON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boustany). 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, I am on the floor today to 
bring to the attention of the House the unjust prosecution of two U.S. 
Border Patrol agents and to urge the President of the United States to 
pardon these two men.
  Agents Ramos and Compean were found guilty in a Federal court for 
wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana 
across our southern border into Texas. These agents never should have 
been prosecuted for their actions last year; yet they had been 
sentenced to 11 and 12 years in Federal prison respectively. Agent 
Ramos served Border Patrol for 9 years and was a former nominee for 
Border Patrol Agent of the Year. Agent Compean had 5 years of 
experience as a Border Patrol agent. By attempting to apprehend an 
illegal alien drug smuggler, these agents were simply doing their job 
to protect the American people. These agents should have been commended 
for their actions, but instead the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted 
the agents and granted full immunity to the drug smuggler for his 
testimony against our agents. The drug smuggler received full medical 
care in El Paso, Texas; was permitted to return to Mexico; and is now 
suing the Border Patrol for $5 million for violating his civil rights. 
He is not an American citizen. He is a criminal.
  Although it is clear that these agents fired shots at the drug 
smuggler to defend themselves and the border they patrol, Ramos and 
Compean were convicted mainly on the testimony of a habitual drug 
smuggler who claimed he was unarmed.
  A sealed indictment for drug charges forbade the defense for calling 
into question the integrity of the drug smuggler as a witness. An 
October 26 article by Sara Carter of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin 
quotes two of the drug smuggler's family members who said he ``has been 
smuggling drugs since he was 14 and wouldn't move drugs unless he had a 
gun on him.'' Mr. Speaker, this came from the family member who knows 
this drug dealer. The family member also reported that the drug 
smuggler had been bragging about the money he is going to get in a 
lawsuit against the United States of America.
  Despite my repeated requests for an investigation of this case and a 
request by a dozen Members of Congress for the President to pardon the 
agents, this administration has ignored the concerns of countless 
citizens who have decried the unjust prosecution of these two heroes. 
Mr. Speaker, I am calling on the President to listen to the concerns of 
the American people and to make it a top priority to pardon these two 
agents.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to share the last paragraph of 
my November 15 letter to the President: ``Mr. President, you have an 
opportunity to reverse a great injustice committed against two agents 
who have given years of their life in service to this Nation and who 
have been unjustly punished for doing their job to protect our 
homeland. On January 17 of 2007, both Agents Ramos and Compean must 
surrender themselves to Federal authorities unless action is taken to 
overturn their sentences.
  ``I strongly urge you, Mr. President, to listen to the concerns of 
the American people and use the power of your office to pardon these 
two agents.''
  Mr. Speaker, I want to say again in closing that these two agents are 
heroes of this great Nation, and if anything, they should be rewarded 
and not crucified by the Federal Government for doing their job.
  Please, Mr. President, listen to the American people.

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