Federal authorities working with the Mexican government secured the arrest of the final suspect in the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. The apprehension occurred on Saturday in Mexico.
Breitbart Texas obtained a leaked internal memo written by the acting chief of the Border Patrol announcing the arrest of Jesus Rosario Favela Astorga. He is reported to be the final suspect in Agent Terry’s murder that occurred on December 14, 2010 in southern Arizona.
Breitbart Texas reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for comment on the arrest. A response was not immediately available.
In the memo, officials stated they were working with Mexican authorities over the past several years to secure the arrest of this suspect. Astorga remains in the custody of Mexico while the Department of Justice works on extradition proceedings.
“Border Patrol Agent Terry will be remembered always and he will forever be a part of the U.S. Border Patrol family,” Chief Carla Provost wrote in the internal memo. “This latest arrest achieved our ultimate goal of bringing all the perpetrators involved in Agent Terry’s death to account.”
After obtaining the information about the arrest of Astorga, Breitbart Texas reached out to Agent Terry’s family for comment.
“One of my daily prayers was answered,” Terry’s sister, Michelle Terry-Balogh said in an exclusive interview. “All of the suspects that were involved in Brian’s murder are now in custody. As this is only another step forward, we cannot be more pleased to hear the news of the last suspect who was captured in Mexico over the weekend.”
“This was the final rip crew suspect that was wanted in connection to his death,” Michelle explained. “This fight is far from over as we still continue to hold the previous administration accountable for their botched gun program that lead to Brian’s and agent Zapata’s murders. Not only do these men and their families deserve the truth–but so do the American people. This is why President Trump needs to have the executive privileges lifted so we can expose the corruption, lies, and betrayal they have committed to us all.”
“I want to thank all agencies that assisted in making this mission possible,” Terry-Balogh concluded.
Terry’s other sister, Kelly Terry-Willis added, “My family is very happy to hear the news. I have prayed for this and hope Justice is swift. We still have the government to come clean with answers as well.”
Breitbart Texas reported extensively on the murder of Agent Terry and the subsequent investigations and arrests.
Agent Terry was on patrol with members of his team, searching for Mexican “rip-crews” that come into the U.S. to steal drug shipments or rob illegal aliens. When his team found the rip-crew, a gun battle ensued and Brian Terry was mortally wounded. He later died from his wounds.
Two of the weapons found were eventually tied to a gun running operation that became known to the world as “Fast and Furious.” The stated goal was to put guns into the hands of criminals and track them back to Mexico to discover the distribution network. Two such firearms ended up at the scene of Terry’s murder.
Despite congressional hearings and promises from the Obama Administration, the Terry family still does not really know what happened that night and no official was punished for the failed operation that led to Terry’s death–and potentially thousands of Mexican citizens.
Terry’s brother, Kent Terry, blames former Attorney General Eric Holder’s alleged involvement in the Fast and Furious gunrunning scheme for the death of the Border Patrol agent and former U.S. Marine.
“Holder is the real criminal here,” Kent Terry said in a message to Breitbart Texas. “He purposely lied to my family and his Justice Department to mislead my family of information of Brian’s senseless death by his and ATF’s Phoenix gun scandal.”
“These illegal aliens that committed this act on U.S soil wouldn’t be blamed for Brian’s death if these guns weren’t put in their hands by Holder.”
In April, authorities arrested the alleged shooter in the Brian Terry murder, Breitbart Texas reported. A task force including Mexican law enforcement officials, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and U.S. Border Patrol BORTAC (Border Patrol Tactical Unit) agents arrested accused killer Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, in Mexico.
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, GAB, and Facebook.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.