The House of Representatives passed legislation in honor of a Border Patrol agent from the Rio Grande Valley who died in a Dec. 2022 ATV crash.

Raul Gonzalez Jr. was on an ATV tracking a group of illegal border crossers near Mission when he crashed on Dec. 7, 2022.

The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act — co-authored by Valley Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz — increases the penalty for convicted smugglers. 

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Under the legislation that was passed on Tuesday, failure to yield would be a felony, and if an officer is killed during the apprehension, smugglers could face life sentences.

Following the passage, De La Cruz issued the following statement in full. 

 “Our border is out of control. The Biden Administration has failed south Texas and border communities from California to the Gulf Coast,” De La Cruz said. “Our Border Patrol and other law enforcement should be given the tools necessary to do their jobs and not wonder if chasing a human or drug smuggler will end their lives and leave their families picking up the pieces. I hope that this legislation, named in honor of hero Agent Raul Gonzalez, makes criminals think twice before evading our border’s law enforcement officers. This madness has to end.”