An illegal immigrant convicted of murdering U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry during the government's ill-fated "Fast and Furious" operation has been sentenced to life in prison, according to Associated Press (AP).
Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes was one of seven illegal immigrants charged with shooting Terry in 2010. Terry's four-man border team encountered Osorio-Arellanes' group while on a mission in the southern Arizona desert to protect illegal immigrants from other illegal immigrant bandits.
The border patrol unit reportedly fired bean bags at the illegal immigrants after they refused orders to stop approaching. Osorio-Arellanes and his men returned fire with AK-47 assault rifles, killing Terry.
Two of the rifles found at the scene of Terry's murder were weapons that U.S. agents allowed to be trafficked to Mexican drug cartels as part of an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) case named "Fast and Furious." Thousands of weapons were put in the hands of drug traffickers through the operation.
After I first broke news of the secret operation in 2011, the Justice Department denied its existence. Later, the government admitted to the "gun walking" operation but claimed they intended to track the weapons to criminal organizations and make big arrests. However, there was no attempt to actually track the weapons.
Former President Obama and then-Attorney General Eric Holder were heavily criticized for the failed operation. Holder was held in contempt for refusing to turn over documents pertaining to the operation. President Obama declared executive privilege to keep the documents secret.
Several of Brian Terry's family members tearfully spoke at Osorio-Arellanes' sentencing hearing in a courtroom in Tucson, Arizona.
Osorio-Arellanes' is the sixth of the seven men charged with Terry's murder to be sentenced. The seventh man is in custody in Mexico, but has not been extradited or tried yet, according to AP.
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https://apnews.com/f8f46eb36645a44a9626fa5e5127fab0
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Why doesn't the Trump administration released the documents pertaining to "Fast and Furious"? He should be able to reverse Obama's Exec Privilege and the Atty Gen should be able to investigate the FBI and DOJ role in that operation. I don't understand why the administration continues to keep everyone in the dark on these questionable projects. Especially because one of the reasons that Border Security is needed is because of the violent cartels, drug runners and human trafficking in addition to illegal crossings.
When will Obama & Holder be held accountable?
The gun running scheme was their operation...
Thank you for this update. When the story first broke, I saw it on the local Phoenix ABC affiliate.
The story was framed in such a way that it implicated the gun store owner in Glendale (I believe he was also an immigrant) as a criminal gun dealer allowing straw-man purchases in order to run the illegally procured guns into Mexico. I did not believe the story as it was reported, and was so disgusted at the Obama administration's clear attempt to frame a law-abiding citizen, and so horrified by the implications for our Republic, that I began to pay attention to it.
That led me to Mike Vanderboegh and his website (RIP, Mike). I wish he was here to see this one step toward justice take place. I continued to follow Sipsey Street Irregulars until Mike's death. Of course, he often reported on your own work on the story.
The entire sordid affair makes Eric Holder my number one choice to see behind bars.
Thank you again for the update. It is important to the country and to Brian Terry's family.