Two border patrol agents convicted of shooting an unarmed Mexican drug smuggler and covering it up are in jail.

Agent Ignacio Ramos was escorted by family and friends to a federal courthouse on Wednesday where he was scheduled to turn himself in.

Supporters, some who came as far away as California, shouted in protest.

As Ramos went inside, supporters and family members could be seen collapsing outside the door in tears.

About 10 minutes later, agent Jose Compean arrived to a much quieter scene.

The agents argue they are being prosecuted unfairly for a job few can comprehend.

"There's a lot of people who have been criticizing us, you don't know half of what goes on out there. If they think they know by what our job entails or what they think happened, they should get out and do the job instead of criticizing us, instead of Monday morning quarterbacking us," said Ramos.

Both agents argued in their trial that they were defending themselves against an armed Mexican national who was smuggling drugs outside Fabens.

However, in a release to the media on Wednesday, prosecutors responded, saying testimony from fellow agents showed Compean and Ramos never took cover. Therefore they didn't feel threatened and Compean admitted in court the suspect had tried to surrender.

As KFOX reported, the victim was fired at 15 times as he was running away from the agents.

He was shot once in the buttocks.

Ramos was sentenced to 11 years, Compean to 12. They are both appealing.