"We believe that prosecution of Border Patrol agents, including the case against Agent Diaz, sets a dangerous precedent for handling these issues in the future and could force agents to hesitate in the line of duty posing a risk to their own lives and the lives of others," said the letter to Obama.

"Border Patrol agents must be able to appropriately and effectively protect our nation's border without the threat of federal prosecution hanging over their head," the letter continued. "We certainly do not condone the use of excessive or unreasonable force, however, the facts in this case do not indicate that the drug smuggler was harmed during the arrest or that excessive force was used."

The letter's signatures included Reps. Hunter, Brian Bilbray, Dana Rohrabacher, Sue Myrick, Ed Royce, Alan Nunnelee, Walter Jones, Dennis Ross, John Duncan, Dan Burton, Allen West, Michael Grimm, Steve Womack, Lynn Westmoreland, Joe Walsh, Jeff Miller, Don Manzullo, Chip Cravaack, Bill Huizenga, Frank Wolf, Cynthia Lummis, Lou Barletta, John Carter, Pete Sessions, Austin Scott, Ken Calvert, Renee Ellmers, Mike Kelly, Steve Austria, Wally Herger, Tom Marino, Bob Goodlatte, Ted Poe, Steve Stivers, Scott DesJarlais, John Campbell and Tom Latham.

The members of Congress what to know Obama's responses to several issues in the case, including:

• "Agent Diaz was cleared of all wrongdoing in this matter by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inispector General and the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement's Office of Professional Wrongdoing. It was only a contradictory report from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that provided the basis for the U.S. attorney's office's case."

   

• "The prosecution of Agent Diaz was initiated at the request of the Mexican government."

   

• "Despite being described by the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement's Office of Professional Wrongdoing as a witness whose 'credibility is questionable at best,' the smuggler in question was given full immunity and a visa to testify against Agent Diaz."

   

• "Testimony from the suspected group of smugglers, including the one in question, changed considerably from what was initially given the night of the arrest to what was attested to in court."

   

• The U.S. attorney's office in the Western District of Texas, responsible for prosecuting this case, was the same office, under U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, that aggressively prosecuted the cases against Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Both of these agents were given 10-year prison sentences that were later commuted by President George W. Bush after two years."

Border Patrol agents, the letter said, are to "keep drugs and the carriers of contraband out of the United States."

"Border Patrol Agent Jesus E. Diaz executed this difficult task by restraining a drug smuggler attempting to enter the U.S., which has resulted in an unfair and excessively disproportionate two-year prison sentence," they wrote. "It is our belief that the prosecution of Agent Diaz … is a disservice to the men and women of the Border Patrol and the mission they undertake," it said.

Diaz currently is in federal prison in solitary confinement.

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