Mexican Killer of U.S. Border Agent Brian Terry Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

Special Attorneys David Leshner and Todd Robinson —  who were assigned to the case of the murdered Border agent Brian Terry which was an extension of the Obama administration’s scandal known as Operation Fast & Furious — are congratulated by some and slammed by other U.S. law enforcement officers.

The death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent  Brian Terry who was murdered by crew of bandits using guns that were provided to a number of Mexican criminals by our federal government in an ill-fated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF) gun-trafficking operation, was one of several low-points within the Obama Department of Justice.

After one of the FBI’s longest active investigations – close to ten-years – another perpetrator who the Obama administration and the Mexican government claim shot a federal cop is headed for the slammer. But there remains suspicion that the embarrassing and flawed “gun-walking” investigation is far from being solved.

On Wednesday, one of the cop-killers — Mexican national Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes — was sentenced in federal court to life in prison for his role in the murder of the 40-year-old Agent Terry on December 14, 2010.

On February 12, 2019, a federal jury in Tucson, Arizona found that the perpetrator Osorio-Arellanes was part of an armed crew of bandits that murdered Agent Terry while they were attempting to rob drug traffickers who were transporting drugs from the mega-crime infested nation of Mexico into the United States.

The 41-year-old Osorio-Arellanes was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted robbery, assault on four Border Patrol Agents and carrying a firearm during the commission of a violent crime Osorio-Arellanes is the sixth of seven defendants in this case to be convicted and sentenced to date.

“This is good news for American law enforcement officers, especially since a number of local police officers, sheriffs’ deputies and law-abiding citizens have been killed or wounded by some of the world’s most dangerous and merciless criminal aliens,” said former homicide police detective Sidney Franes. “But during the early days of the scandal involving U.S. federal cops allowing firearms to be smuggled into Mexico to buttress the Democratic Party’s claim that Mexican drug cartels and other criminals use American weapons smuggled across the southern border,” Franes noted.

A former police commander is even more skeptical about the case. “How do we know these are the murderers? There were very few details about the case thanks to a news media that practically worshiped [President Barack] Obama. And we’ve witnessed an FBI that’s headed by Obama and Deep State swamp creatures including the bureau’s two recent directors — Robert Mueller and James Comey,” claims former police narcotics officer Charles Sanguine.

“Brian Terry exemplified the very best of law enforcement: A selfless, determined agent who was committed to protecting the people of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer of the Southern District of California. “The United States has vigorously pursued justice for Agent Terry’s family and for the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol. A life sentence for Agent Terry’s murder cannot eliminate his family’s suffering.  But it is our hope that this sentence brings some degree of comfort to Agent Terry’s family in knowing that the individuals responsible for his murder will be held accountable.”

“Today’s sentencing reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to ensure that all those responsible for the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry are brought to justice,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office.

Unfortunately, according to a number of women and men working in law enforcement, then-President Barack Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder spent more time and resources covering up the details of Operation Fast and Furious.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on December 14, 2010, Agent Terry’s elite unit known as Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC)  was in a rural area north of Nogales, Arizona, to interdict an armed “rip crew” that was robbing drug traffickers.

The BORTAC team observed a group of five bandits armed with assault rifles walking through a wash.  The BORTAC agents announced their presence, and the bandits fired on the agents.  The agents returned fire.  A bullet fired by one of the bandits struck Agent Terry in the lower back.  His fellow agents provided emergency first aid, but to no avail.

Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, whose aliases included Jesus Lionel Sanchez Meza and Lionel Portillo-Meza, is one of seven defendants charged in the District of Arizona with murder and other crimes arising from the murder of Agent Terry.

Osorio-Arellanes was taken into custody in 2017 by Mexican authorities in Chihuahua, Mexico based on a provisional arrest warrant issued at the request of the United States. He was transported to Mexico City for extradition proceedings and arrived in the United States on August 1, 2018, according to an FBI press statement.

Defendants Ivan Soto-Barraza and Jesus Lionel Sanchez-Meza were arrested in Mexico and subsequently extradited to the United States in 2014. They were convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and other offenses in December 2015 following a jury trial and were sentenced to life in prison, as well.

Defendants Manuel Osorio-Arellanes and Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez pleaded guilty to first degree murder. Osorio-Arellanes was sentenced to 30-years in prison, and Burboa-Alvarez was sentenced to 27-years in federal prison.

Defendant Rito Osorio-Arellanes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and was sentenced to eight-years in prison.

Defendant Jesus Favela-Astorga was arrested by Mexican authorities in November 2017 pursuant to a provisional arrest request filed by the United States Government. He is pending extradition to the United States and will be tried for Agent Terry’s murder following his extradition.

The case was investigated by the FBI. The apprehension was a coordinated effort by the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), Mexico’s Office of the Attorney General (PGR), FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Border Patrol with significant assistance provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

“The conviction and life sentence for Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes is the result of the dedicated efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including Special Agent Michelle Terwilliger, who has handled this case since December 2010,” U.S. Attorney Brewer said. He also praised prosecutors Leshner and Robinson for their dedication to achieving justice in this case.