Family of Slain Border Patrol Agent Pursuing its Suit Against the Federal Government

PHOENIX, AZ – The family of murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry isn’t waiting for the soon-to-be-released findings of the House investigation into Operation Fast and Furious. Terry’s mother wants the government to be forthcoming with answers about her son’s death.

“If the truth comes out and they tell me the truth, I’ll be happy with that, but I don’t want to just sit there and listen to lies just to cover up and pacify me,” said Josephine Terry

This latest statement from the Terry family comes just days after a second man was arrested in Mexico who is believed to be one of the murderers of Brian Terry. The man accused of the murder of the U.S. Border Patrol agent has been detained by Mexican authorities.

Reuters reports:

Federal police detained Jesus Leonel Sanchez Meza on Thursday in Sonora state, which borders Arizona, where agent Brian Terry was shot dead in December 2010, the Public Security Ministry said. The Mexican Attorney General’s Office plans to extradite Sanchez Meza to the United States, the ministry said in a statement.

Two guns found at the scene were traced to a botched U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) sting operation called “Fast and Furious” that allowed weapons to slip across the border. It was not clear, however, if those weapons fired the fatal shots.

Four others have been accused in the shooting, the ministry said. Officials did not say if they were also being detained.

The Terry family has filed a $25 million wrongful death suit against the U.S. government because they are convinced their son was killed because federal investigators purposefully allowed guns from the U.S. to walk across the border before falling into the hands of the people who murdered their son.

Robert Heyer, Chairman of the Honor Brian Terry Foundation, said, “This is a long-awaited arrest and a great development in the murder investigation of Brian. To the extent closure can ever be realized, this is an important part of the process. However, the key issue of government accountability remains. Why was the operation that killed Brian authorized and who will be held to account? These questions must be answered no matter how high we must look to get them. The family looks forward to the pending Inspector General’s report.”

Darrell Issa (R-CA), House government Reform and Oversight Committee chairman, recently announced that the Justice Department’s internal watchdog is about to release a report concerning Operation Fast and Furious. Issa released the following statement in anticipation of the DOJ report:

“For a year and a half, Attorney General Eric Holder has cited the ongoing Inspector General investigation as his reason for declining to hold those responsible for reckless conduct in Operation Fast and Furious to account. Next week, this excuse for delaying action ends. Although I am concerned that the Justice Department has not given the Inspector General full and unfettered access to all relevant information, Inspector General Horowitz’s report and testimony should add to the understanding of the operation and numerous related management failures at the Department.”