On the recordDecember 16, 2010
Mr. Speaker, the Preserving Foreign Criminal Assets for Forfeiture Act of 2010 will ensure that U.S. courts can freeze assets while foreign legal proceedings are pending. This fix permits Federal law enforcement to assist foreign governments without waiting for a final judgment in a foreign court. I want to tell you a story that highlights the importance of this legislation. Years ago, I met a bright young man named Bobby Salcedo, who grew up in my district it in El Monte, California. What struck me right away was Bobby's dedication to improving the lives of children and residents of his community. It was that dedication that gave him his incredible energy and passion to achieve as much as he did. He was an elected member of the El Monte School District. He returned to his alma mater, Mountain View High School, to become its assistant principal, and was studying for his doctorate in education at UCLA. Aside from his caring, selfless nature, Bobby was very intelligent, driven, and charismatic. It was clear to everyone who knew him that he was going somewhere. He was our rising star. A year ago, Bobby traveled to Gomez Palacio in the Mexican state of Durango to visit his wife's family for the holidays. On New Year's Eve, he was out with family and friends at a local restaurant when gunmen burst in and dragged Bobby, along with five other men, out of the restaurant at gunpoint. They were then each shot to death execution-style.
