Four years ago, on December 14, 2010, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was shot and killed by Mexican bandits while he was on patrol in southern Arizona.
Terry was out with a group of fellow agents searching for what are known as “rip crews,” groups of Mexican bandits that prey on drug smugglers and illegal aliens crossing the border in the region. Four years later, the family of Agent Terry still waits for answers to not only what happened that night, but the circumstances leading up to Terry’s murder that later became known as Operation Fast and Furious. Two of the guns found at the scene of Terry’s murder were later traced back to the federal law enforcement program that put guns into the hands of criminals.
Breitbart Texas spoke with Agent Terry’s family about their thoughts as we move into this, the fourth anniversary of his tragic and needless death. “I have been waiting four years for justice for my son Brian, which have been the worst years of my life,” said Brian’s mother Josephine Terry. “It’s hard for me not to cry when I think I will never see his face again. The loss I feel cannot be described”
“Brian was a truly dedicated American,” Mrs. Terry continued, “who, as an American, should get the justice he deserves. The effect of Brian’s death on my life is truly over whelming. I am glad I had the privilege and honor to be Brian’s Mom.”
A Facebook event has been organized for Monday, December 15th to honor Brian and remember the sacrifice he and his family have made for our country. Brian’s family would like to invite our readers to “Join” the event and show your support for this great American hero.
“Four years ago today we lost our American Hero,” said Michelle Terry-Balogh, one of Brian Terry’s sisters. “Brian was killed protecting each and every one of us.
“Not a day goes by that I do not think of him, or wonder why this has happened to our family,” she continued. ”But we are strong and will continue to fight for the justice and truth he deserves. Let’s not morn his death but celebrate who he was, a true American Hero, an all-American Patriot who spent his adult life doing what he loved to do.”
“Take this day and say thank you to those who protect us and serve this country every day. Pay it forward to those who protect us. Make a difference in Brian’s name,” Michelle concluded.
Earlier this year, Kent Terry spoke out about the federal government’s failure to hold those responsible for getting the guns into the hands of the bandits who killed his brother. Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle published a letter from Kent Terry to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in Big Government. “I am not pleased with your behavior as America’s Attorney General,” Kent Terry wrote. “Simply denying that you had no knowledge about Operation Fast and Furious is troubling in itself, but for you to not comply with Congress is even more troubling. It is shocking to know that the Attorney General of the United States had no knowledge or was not made aware of Fast and Furious until after the death of my brother, Brian Terry.”
While more documents about the Fast and Furious scandal have finally been disclosed to the Congressional oversight committees, Brian Terry’s family still must deal with their pain brought on by the lack of answers. The family, however, has remained strong and positive in the face of the disrespect they have received from Eric Holder and the White House. They choose instead to honor Brian and the excellence he stood for.
“I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone who supports the Terry family in getting justice for Brian,” Kent Terry said to this writer. “It means a lot to me and my family. It is greatly appreciated.”
“Brian wrote a poem that described how he lived his life. It is titled, ‘If Today is to be the Day… So Be It.’ It saddens me that we still don’t have answers for, or accountability for, Brian’s senseless death,” Kent continued, ”A death caused by the ATF and other agencies.”
“Brian deserves better,” he stated. “He did spill his blood on this soil protecting Americans. Now that documents are out, I expect Congress to follow Brian’s poem and let ‘Today be the Day’ they respect him and give him answers he so well deserves.”
Brian Terry’s poem is read in this tribute video:
In an effort to keep Brian’s memories alive and to help other Border Patrol families who have lost an agent in the line of duty, the Terry family established the Brian Terry Foundation. During the Fall, a Michigan businessman Erik “Trek” Utrecht conducted a fundraising event for the foundation. He raised money by getting people to sponsor him on a 2,000 mile bicycle ride from Detroit Michigan to the Brian Terry Border Patrol Station in Bisbee, Arizona. The trip took approximately 23 days to complete. In March 2015, the Foundation will host a golf tournament in the Fort Worth, Texas area. More information will be available about the tournament in a future article.
“It has been four years but still feels like four days,” Kelly Terry-Willis told this writer about her brother’s death. “Our family is still seeking justice and until that happens we do not have closure.”
“Brian was an amazing man who lived for the red, white and blue,” she said proudly. “We need not to forget him and his beautiful soul. Our family is very thankful for all the tremendous support given by family, friends and those we have never met. We will keep fighting!”
And fighting is exactly what this family has been forced to do. This writer first wrote about the Terry murder on the day he died – December 15th, 2010. While looking into the circumstances surrounding his murder, it became apparent very quickly that something was wrong. The government was clearly behaving differently than it had other cases this writer had investigated. After writing more articles, along with several other bloggers, the mainstream media eventually picked up the story. The now former CBS reporter, Sharyl Attkisson, blew the story wide open with a CBS Evening News report on an ATF investigation called “Project Gunrunner.” This eventually evolved into the larger scandal called “Operation Fast and Furious.”
While Attorney General Eric Holder has been held in contempt of Congress for failing to answer questions and supply documents subpoenaed by Congress, no one in the Obama Administration has been held accountable for this disastrous operation. Operation Fast and Furious appears to have contributed to the deaths of Brian Terry, ICE Agent Jaime Zapata, and perhaps thousands of Mexican nationals.
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX
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