[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1509]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          A SAD DAY IN AMERICA

  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 a sad day in the 
history of America. Two law enforcement officers who have given years 
of their life in service to this Nation have entered Federal prison 
today for shooting a drug smuggler.
  This is a black mark for the President and his administration. U.S. 
Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean were found guilty in a Federal 
court last spring for wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 
pounds of marijuana across our southern border into Texas.
  Many of us in Congress have written letters asking the President to 
consider pardoning these agents, a request that is justified by serious 
questions about the prosecution of this case, including both the 
indictment and the process. These agents never should have been 
prosecuted for their actions last year, yet they have been sentenced to 
11 years and 12 years in Federal prison respectively.
  These agents do not deserve to spend one day in prison. By attempting 
to apprehend an illegal alien drug smuggler, these agents were simply 
doing their jobs to protect the American people. The extraordinary 
details surrounding the prosecution of this case assure that justice 
was not served. These agents should have been commended for their 
actions. 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 the agents fired shots in self-defense, 
Ramos and Compean were convicted mainly on the testimony of a habitual 
drug smuggler who claimed he was unarmed. Despite my repeated requests 
for an investigation of this case and a request by more than 50 Members 
of Congress for the President to pardon these agents, this 
administration has ignored the concerns of countless citizens who have 
cried out against this injustice.
  Mr. Speaker, the indifference of this White House will long be 
remembered by the American people and by those of us in Congress who 
tried to come to the aid of these two heroes.

                          ____________________