Exclusive–North Carolina Sanctuary County: Illegal Alien Brothers Charged with Murdering K9 Officer Ned Byrd

A pair of illegal alien brothers has been charged with murdering K9 officer and sheriff’s deputy Ned Byrd, a 13-year veteran of the force, in Wake County, North Carolina — one of the nation’s most dangerous sanctuary jurisdictions.

In the early morning on August 12, prosecutors allege that illegal alien brothers 25-year-old Alder Alfonso Sotelo and 29-year-old Arturo Marin Sotelo shot and killed 48-year-old Byrd in Raleigh after he had gotten out of his unmarked patrol vehicle. Byrd’s K9 partner Sasha was left in the vehicle at the time.

Byrd was later found shot to death outside his patrol vehicle.

Last week, the Sotelo brothers were indicted by a grand jury for murdering Byrd and the two are now facing life in prison or the death penalty if convicted. Both are from Mexico.

Byrd’s sister Mignon Byrd Perkins wrote in an obituary:

He lived his life to the fullest, he was helpful, kind, and very much loved. Ned was a friend to all, and family to many. He was the strongest smartest big brother one could ask for  — he was my hero, and my rock. He has left this world too soon, and has taken what’s left of my heart with him.

Readers can donate to the Byrd family via a GoFundMe set up by Back the Blue NC, Inc. as well as a GoFundMe created by his friends and colleagues.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency confirmed to Breitbart News that Alder Alfonso Sotelo and Arturo Marin Sotelo are illegal aliens brothers from Mexico who each entered the United States via the southern border.

Arturo Marin Sotelo, in particular, had been apprehended and returned to Mexico in June 2010 near Naco, Arizona, before illegally crossing the southern border again.

This month, ICE officers placed detainers on the Sotelo brothers requesting that the pair be turned over to the agency for arrest and deportation if they are released from local police custody at any time.

Wake County, however, remains one of the nation’s most dangerous sanctuary jurisdictions. A recent analysis by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) noted:

In 2020, nearly 200 suspected illegal immigrants were released from Wake County jail, according to local officials. [Emphasis added]

In the last 12 months, Wake County detention facilities admitted over 32,000 detainees. Approximately one-third, or 12,000, of these admissions bonded out almost immediately or received conditions of release. [Emphasis added]

In addition to the Sotelo brothers’ arrests for Byrd’s murder, a third illegal alien brother — 18-year-old Rolando Marin Sotelo of Mexico — has also been arrested for being in possession of a weapon and ammunition as an illegal alien.

ICE officials confirmed to Breitbart News that Rolando Marin Sotelo was first apprehended in October 2019 near Douglas, Arizona, along the southern border and identified as an Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC). In that instance, he was returned to Mexico.

Two months later, in December 2019, Rolando Marin Sotelo was apprehended along the border in Brownsville, Texas, and was given a Notice to Appear (NTA) in immigration court by former President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He was then released into the U.S. interior while awaiting his scheduled April 2023 immigration hearing.

This week, the nonprofit Operation Fly Our Flag organized a memorial ride at Raleigh’s Coastal Credit Union Music Park where hundreds attended to honor Byrd.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.