Life Without Parole for Illegal Alien Who Murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry

A federal judge in Tucson, Arizona, sentenced a Mexican illegal alien who murdered U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry to life in prison without parole. The sentencing follows a conviction by a federal court jury in February 2019 for the 2010 murder of the federal agent.

U.S. District Court Judge David Bury sentenced Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes to life in prison for killing Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, AZ Central reported. Osorio-Arellanes killed Agent Terry on December 14, 2010.

Shortly before midnight on December 14, 2010, Agent Terry and his fellow BORTAC agents were dispatched to search for a Mexican “rip crew” in the mountainous terrain of the southern Arizona border. Rip crews are groups of bandits that prey on human and drug smuggling hikers near the border to rip off whatever valuables or drugs are being transported. Agent Terry’s team came upon a group shortly before midnight on the 14th and the group opened fire in the agents. Terry was struck by the gunfire and died shortly after midnight on December 15 from his wounds.

The jury found that Osorio-Arellanes, now 41, was one of the members of that rip crew.

Following the sentencing of the illegal alien from Mexico, Brian Terry’s sister Kelly Terry-Willis told Breitbart Texas her family is happy with the sentencing.

“We are very happy with the sentencing,” Kelly Terry said. “The defendant pretended to not understand what he did wrong because he claimed to have no education. I let him know in my (victim’s) statement that he knew exactly what he was doing because he armed himself.”

“Life… no parole!” Kelly posted on Facebook shortly after the sentencing hearing concluded.

A defiant Osorio-Arellanes, now one of seven defendants convicted in the agent’s murder, maintained his innocence and said his prosecution was being conducted illegally.

“With all due respect, I don’t agree with the trial,” the defendant said in a statement delivered in Spanish and translated then translated to English, the New York Post reported. “Prosecutors pointed to me as a murderer without any evidence, so the jury would say I was guilty. Everything is being done illegally.”

“I feel like I have to say to you what the law is in the United States, but you refuse to accept it,” Judge Bury responded.

Investigators tied one of the weapons found at the scene of Terry’s murder to the Fast and Furious gun-running program conducted during the Obama administration. So far, no one in the federal government has been held accountable for their actions in the scheme.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Agent John Dodson told Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson, “When Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed, I immediately noticed that my agency was attempting to cover up any link between the investigation and the strategy that we employed and the death of Agent Terry.”

“Part of my mission with the ATF in Phoenix was to combat a legal firearms trafficking to the Mexican drug cartels,” Agent Dodson explained. “Somehow, in order to achieve that goal, the strategy that had been adopted was to facilitate and allow the illegal firearms trafficking to the Mexican drug cartels. We were essentially flooding the border region with firearms from the US civilian market, and then tracking and tallying the results as they were used in crimes on both sides of the border.” 

Agent Terry’s brother, Kent Terry told Breitbart Texas on Thursday, “We are grateful for an honest sentencing in this trial. But my brother deserves more than this. He deserves accountability for those who supplied these weapons to known criminals and cartels.”

Kent Terry asked that Attorney General William Barr conduct a “proper and thorough investigation” into the federal government’s role in the program that led to his brother’s death.

“The stress that my family has been through for these nine years is unimaginable,” Kent Terry said. “Our hope is that President Trump will do the right thing and have Barr take a close look at this reckless operation.”

The U.S. House of Representatives held then-Attorney General Eric Holder in Contempt of Congress in June 2012 for refusing to turn over documents relating to Operation Fast and Furious. Twelve Democrats joined with Republicans in passing the contempt resolution, Breitbart News reported. The reported vote count was 255 yeas, 67 nays, one “present,” and 110 members did not vote.

Terry’s other sister, Michelle Terry-Balogh, told the New York Times, “I wish we could get the truth on that, and hold those accountable who were part of that program, so they could go to prison, as well.”

Kelly Terry-Willis concluded, “We are not celebrating this sentence because this should have never happened and will never bring my brother, Brian, back. We are very appreciative of the support in the courtroom by Brian’s Border Patrol and BORTAC family. They too lost a brother.”

Originally published on Breitbart Texas. Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.