Walter B. Jones: “Mr. Speaker, now is a critical time in the case of two United States Border Patrol agents. Last week, the agents turned…”

“Mr. Speaker, now is a critical time in the case of two United States Border Patrol agents. Last week, the agents turned themselves in to U.S. marshals to begin serving 11 and 12 years, respectively, in Federal prison. U.S. Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean were convicted last spring for wounding a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across our southern border into Texas. The agents fired shots during a foot chase with the smuggler, who had fled in a van they were pursuing. The van contained approximately $1 million worth of marijuana. Mr. Speaker, after months of silence, the President recently said in a television interview that he would take a sober look at the case and a tough look at the facts to see whether the agents should be pardoned. For the agents' safety, I am hopeful that the President of the United States will look into this case as soon as possible. The facts will tell the President what countless citizens and Members of Congress already know, that the United States Attorney's office was on the wrong side in this case. Compelling physical evidence--the angle of the bullet that struck the drug smuggler--makes it clear that the smuggler was pointing something at the agents as he ran away and the agents fired in self-defense. Yet the U.S. Attorney's office prosecuted the agents almost exclusively on the testimony of an admitted drug smuggler who claimed he was unarmed.”