Death Records Now

Five illegal immigrants armed with at least two AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifles were hunting for U.S. Border Patrol agents near a desert watering hole known as Mesquite Seep just north of the Arizona-Mexico border when a firefight erupted and one U.S. agent was killed, records show.

A now-sealed federal grand jury indictmentin the death of Border Patrol agent Brian A. Terrysays the Mexican nationals were “patrolling” the rugged desert area of Peck Canyon at about 11:15 p.m. on Dec. 14 with the intent to “intentionally and forcibly assault” Border Patrol agents.

At least two of the Mexicans carried their assault rifles “at the ready position,” one of several details about the attack showing that Mexican smugglers are becoming more aggressive on the U.S. side of the border.

According to the indictment, the Mexicans were “patrolling the area in single-file formation” a dozen miles northwest of the border town of Nogales and — in the darkness of the Arizona night — opened fire on four Border Patrol agents after the agents identified themselves in Spanish as police officers.

Two AK-47 assault rifles found at the scene came from the failed Fast and Furious operation.

Using thermal binoculars, one of the agents determined that at least two of the Mexicans were carrying rifles, but according to an affidavit in the case by FBI agent Scott Hunter, when the Mexicans did not drop their weapons as ordered, two agents used their shotguns to fire “less than lethal” beanbags at them.

At least one of the Mexicans opened fire and, according to the affidavit, Terry, a 40-year-old former U.S. Marine, was shot in the back. A Border Patrol shooting-incident report said that Terry called out, “I’m hit,” and then fell to the ground, a bullet having pierced his aorta. “I can’t feel my legs,” Terry told one of the agents who cradled him. “I think I’m paralyzed.”

Bleeding profusely, he died at the scene.

After the initial shots, two agents returned fire, hitting Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, 33, in the abdomen and leg. The others fled. The FBI affidavit said Osorio-Arellanes admitted during an interview that all five of the Mexicans were armed.

Peck Canyon is a notorious drug-smuggling corridor.

Osorio-Arellanes initially was charged with illegal entry, but that case was dismissed when the indictment was handed up. It named Osorio-Arellanes on a charge of second-degree murder, but did not identify him as the likely shooter, saying only that Osorio-Arellanes and others whose names were blacked out “did unlawfully kill with malice aforethought United States Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry while Agent Terry was engaged in … his official duties.”

The indictment also noted that Osorio-Arellanes had been convicted in Phoenix in 2006 of felony aggravated assault, had been detained twice in 2010 as an illegal immigrant, and had been returned to Mexico repeatedly.

Bill Brooks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s acting southwest border field branch chief, referred inquiries to the FBI, which is conducting the investigation. The FBI declined to comment.

The case against Osorio-Arellanes and others involved in the shooting has since been sealed, meaning that neither the public nor the media has access to any evidence, filings, rulings or arguments.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/22/armed-illegals-stalked-border-patrol/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

This is the reason we need military on the border.You know the sad fact is that any one of the thousands of illegals that came here today could be a killer just like that and our govt doesn’t protect us in any way from them.

Christian Ramirez of American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that tracks border violence, said the blame lies on both sides of the border. Ramirez said smuggling cartels trying to push their goods into the U.S. are clashing with an ever-expanding collection of law enforcement officers on the U.S. side, leaving illegal immigrants simply looking for work caught in the crossfire.

"Border Patrol responds with more arms, more personnel, and drug cartels respond in kind. It’s a cycle of violence that we need to figure out how to stop," he said.

A total of 260 agents fired their weapons in 213 instances from 2006 to 2010, wounding an additional 37 people, according to a database obtained from Customs and Border Protection through the Freedom of Information Act. The records reflect all Border Patrol encounters around the country, but Customs spokesman Lloyd Easterling said most of those occurred along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Fourteen Border Patrol agents died in the line of duty during that time period, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks the death of law enforcement officers. Two died from gunshot wounds, the rest of various causes ranging from heat exhaustion to being intentionally struck by a car.

Jennifer Allen, executive director of the Border Action Network, a Tucson-based civil rights group that helps immigrants, said the numbers show that agents are being reckless when responding to illegal immigrants crossing the border. She said she understands that drug cartels and human smugglers can be violent, but she said agents are approaching any illegal immigrant crossing into the U.S. with a "heavy-handed" approach that leads to so many deaths and injuries.

Hipolito Acosta, who patrolled the border for several federal agencies before retiring in 2005, said the number of immigrants killed or wounded was low considering the dangers and activity levels along the border. He said they encounter so many dangerous situations with smugglers that they must approach every encounter expecting the worse.

"If you look at the narcotics interdictions along the border, if you look at the number of weapons that are found, that’s not a high number," Acosta said.

Allen said she has long complained to Border Patrol officials that they need a more comprehensive training program so agents know how to better distinguish between armed smugglers and people looking to enter the country to live and work.

A 2007 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the Border Patrol "exhibits attributes of an effective training program." But it found that the ratio of young, inexperienced agents to experienced supervisors was often too high.

Easterling said they have focused on hiring more experienced supervisors and trainers to show the new agents how and when to use deadly force. He said agents are frequently outmanned by smuggling operations.

"We don’t want any of this going on, clearly," he said. "But we realize that these organizations are not giving up without a fight. In defense of themselves, their partners and innocent third parties, our agents will respond."
How soon before La Raza , Obama and Mexico sue the agent and his family ?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-12-21-border21_ST_N.htm
crossing the border was not a capital crime punishable by death.Tell your people to stop allowing drug smugglers to bring them in.

As far as I’m concerned our Border Patrol isn’t being heavy handed enough. It’s a terrible tragedy for one of our officers to die. We need military troops on the border with orders to shoot to kill. Believe me that would cause the drug, human smugglers to think twice before attempting to cross into the USA. It would also lower the numbers of illegal aliens crossing the desert to sneak into our country. A win/win solution.