[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2285]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      SPECIAL AGENT JAIME J. ZAPATA AND SPECIAL AGENT VICTOR AVILA

  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, I rise to express my 
deepest sorrow about a tragic attack on American law enforcement that 
happened earlier this week in Mexico.
  On Tuesday afternoon, two agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement were attacked by unknown individuals while driving between 
Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico. Today, I honor the incredible 
sacrifice of Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata, who lost his life in 
service of our country, and Special Agent Victor Avila, who is 
recovering from injuries from the shooting.
  Special Agent Zapata joined ICE in 2006. He joined one of ICE's 
offices in Laredo, TX, where he served on the Human Smuggling and 
Trafficking Unit, as well as the Border Enforcement Security Task 
Force. He was most recently detailed to ICE's Attache office in Mexico 
City. He began his Federal law enforcement career with the Department 
of Homeland Security as a member of the U.S. Border Patrol in Yuma, AZ. 
A native of Brownsville, TX, Special Agent Zapata graduated from the 
University of Texas at Brownsville in 2005 with a bachelor of science 
in criminal justice.
  My thoughts and prayers are with Special Agent Avila as he recovers.
  These two brave agents gave their all to shield others from harm. 
They worked tirelessly against dangerous criminal elements. They 
bravely took dangerous assignments, ultimately making a profound 
sacrifice.
  They were two of the hundreds of ICE personnel around the globe. 
Honorable agents like these two individuals collaborate with their 
counterparts in joint efforts to dismantle transnational criminal 
organizations. Agents like them give their all day in and day out on 
fighting money laundering, contraband smuggling, weapons proliferation, 
forced child labor, human rights violations, intellectual property 
violations, child exploitation, and human smuggling and trafficking.
  An incident like this serves to remind us all as a nation how 
grateful we are for the sacrifices made by these brave men and women 
every day. The work they do serves to make the public safe and protect 
the Nation's security.
  I have been in contact with law enforcement, and I know that they are 
working closely with the authorities in Mexico to ensure that the 
perpetrators of this horrible attack on American law enforcement are 
brought to justice as quickly as possible.
  In the meantime, I offer my deepest condolences to the family of 
Special Agent Zapata. He died for a just cause and will forever be 
remembered as a man of courage and honor.
  And a message for Special Agent Avila. I think I speak for a nation 
when I say that I hope, and pray, for your recovery. Words cannot 
express our thanks for your service.

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