Mexican Accused of Murdering Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Extradited to Face Justice in U.S.
The Mexican national accused in the murder of U.S Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry is now reported to be in U.S. custody in Arizona. The accused killer has been fighting extradition since his arrest in April 2017.
“The Terry family had to wait seven years for this moment,” Agent Terry’s brother, Kent Terry, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening. “Finally, justice will be served and hopefully a little piece of mind.”
Shortly after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wired Sources tweeted “Mexico has extradited to the U.S. Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, charged with murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.”
BREAKING: Mexico has extradited to the U.S. Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, charged with murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry
— Wired Sources (@WiredSources) July 31, 2018
The Terry family confirmed the news to Breitbart Texas shortly after.
The family of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry attended the unveiling of a statue cast in his honor at the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station in Arizona.
“This is a step in the right direction,” Kent Terry told Breitbart Texas. “But I will be honest with you, we can forget that those who orchestrated this reckless scandal known as ‘Fast and Furious.’ They still have not held accountable.
“President Donald Trump told Attorney General Jeff Sessions sessions to release the documents related to this cases and Sessions still hasn’t done so,” Kent continued. I myself will not have peace until there are answers, documents, and accountability. My family has taken and continues to take an emotional beating daily and we still won’t have closure till we get documents.”
A task force including Mexican law enforcement officials, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and U.S. Border Patrol Border Patrol BORTAC (Border Patrol Tactical Unit) agents arrested accused killer Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, in Mexico earlier in April 2017, Breitbart Texas reported. Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas stated immigration officials deported Osorio-Arellanes seven times before he returned illegally on December 14, 2010, as part of a Mexican bandit “rip crew.” The accused killer of Agent Brian Terry reportedly opened fire on the BORSTAR team in southern Arizona that had been dispatched to find the “rip crew.” The rip crew had been robbing other drug and human smuggling convoys in the area. The murder of Agent Terry occurred on December 14, 2010.
“The news is definitely a step forward for our family,” Agent Terry’s sister, Michelle Terry-Balogh told Breitbart Texas. “We appreciate the U.S. Attorneys Office that is working endless hours to bring these last two suspects to the U.S. so we can get the justice Brian deserves.”
“But we still are taking two steps back,” Michelle said. “We want those from the previous administration held accountable as well. They put those guns in the cartels hands with their botched gun-running program, ‘Fast and Furious.’”
“Our current administration needs to make those remaining ‘Fast and Furious’ documents available to us.” she continued. “We must hold those involved accountable for their actions. We want to expose the truth on how and why this program was created. Our family prays every day that this tragedy does not take the life of another person.”
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Adam Braverman expressed his satisfaction with bringing this accused killer to the U.S. where he will face justice.
“The arrest and extradition of Osorio-Arellanes reflects the steadfast commitment and tireless work of the United States and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, who shared the common goal of seeking justice for the murder of Agent Brian Terry,” Braverman said in a written statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “When an agent makes the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country, we must hold all the individuals who played a part in this tragic outcome accountable for their actions. This extradition moves that important goal forward.”
Attorney General Sessions responded, saying, “The Department of Justice is pleased that the suspected killer of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry has been successfully extradited to the United States and will now face justice for this terrible crime. We are grateful for the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as our law enforcement partners in Mexico.”
“To anyone who would take the life of an American citizen, in particular an American law enforcement officer, this action sends a clear message: Working closely with our international partners, we will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will bring you to justice,” Sessions concluded.
“Jesus Rosario Favela Astorga (arrested by Mexican authorities in October, 2017) – has not yet been tried. is pending extradition to the United States,” Justice Department officials wrote.
The case will be prosecuted in a Tucson federal court by attorneys from the Southern District of Arizona, Braverman said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Arizona is recused from the case.
Prosecutors said that in addition to the murder charge, Osorio-Arellanes also faces charges for allegedly assaulting Border Patrol Agents William Sactano, Gavriel Fragoza, and Timothy Keller. These agents were part of Agent Terry’s team that went after the “rip crew.”
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. More information may be added as it becomes available.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.
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