Congressman Lieu Calls on DOJ to Conduct Civil Rights Investigation into DEA Abuse of Daniel Chong

Statement

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles) -- a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform -- has issued the following statement regarding the lack of accountability for Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents who abused Daniel Chong. Mr. Chong was detained in 2012 by the DEA and held for five days without food or water before being released without charges. After an internal DEA investigation concluded in March, two agents received short suspensions and four agents received only reprimands.

"Today, I call upon the Department of Justice (DOJ) to open a civil rights investigation into the conduct of the DEA agents who detained Daniel Chong and left him without food and water for five days. Leaving Mr. Chong locked in a room without food or water appears to have been a violation of his civil and constitutional rights. According to the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Chong survived and avoided dehydration only by drinking his own urine. Four reprimands and two short suspensions does not amount to justice for Mr. Chong and his family. The current DOJ solution to this matter - a review of DEA internal disciplinary process - is simply not good enough. Mr. Chong almost died and had to undergo treatment for trauma caused by the abuse he suffered. I will be sending a letter shortly to formally request that the Department of Justice conduct a full civil rights investigation into the apparent denial of Mr. Chong's civil and constitutional rights by the DEA. Those who perpetrated this abuse must be held accountable and a message must be sent that these kinds of actions can not, must not happen again."

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