[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12450-12451]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




INVESTIGATING INJUSTICE PERPETRATED AGAINST BORDER PATROL AGENTS RAMOS 
                              AND COMPEAN

  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 119th 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. I am 
hopeful that this will be the month that House Judiciary Chairman John 
Conyers and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy will hold a hearing 
to investigate the injustice perpetrated against these two U.S. Border 
Patrol agents.
  Agents Compean and Ramos were convicted last spring for wounding a 
Mexican drug smuggler who brought 734 pounds of marijuana across our 
border into Texas. These agents never should have been persecuted. Yet 
the U.S. Attorney's Office granted immunity to the drug smuggler and 
prosecuted the agents who were doing their job to protect our borders.
  The illegal drug smuggler received full medical care in El Paso, 
Texas, was permitted to return to Mexico and has sued the Border Patrol 
for $5 million for violating his civil rights. Many Members of this 
House, including Congressman Ted Poe, who is a former judge from Texas, 
have voiced concerns about the unfair prosecution of these agents.
  With the troubling revelations surrounding the leadership of the U.S.

[[Page 12451]]

Justice Department, I believe it is necessary to investigate the U.S. 
Attorney's Office in western Texas and the prosecutor's actions in this 
case. Never in America should the Congress sit by and allow a breakdown 
of honesty and integrity in our Nation's judicial system.
  Mr. Speaker, if the American people cannot have faith in our Federal 
courts, I am afraid the future of our democracy is in danger. For the 
sake of these agents and their families and the integrity of our 
judicial system, I am pleased and grateful that Mr. Conyers and Senator 
Leahy will be holding hearings to investigate the injustice perpetrated 
against these two agents.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan, 
the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, there are very few instances where I have 
had a Member of Congress persist in the search for justice with the 
same zeal as my friend from North Carolina, and I commend you.
  I recall that I had an opportunity to meet the widow of the slain 
officer, and I have talked to the gentleman from Virginia, Bobby Scott, 
chairman of the Crime Subcommittee, and his ranking member about the 
importance that we pursue at the earliest possible moment a complete 
and total investigation and hearing about the matter that the gentleman 
and other colleagues that have now joined you have persisted in.
  I congratulate you, and recommit publicly once again to our search 
and pursuit of justice, because if we don't protect our border agents 
and law enforcement officials generally, I can only shudder to think 
how the safety of this country will deteriorate.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I am 
grateful to the chairman.

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