http://www.kpho.com/news/26140726/detail.htmlNOGALES, Ariz. -- A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed during an exchange of gunfire between agents and several armed individuals near the Arizona-Mexico border, according to an inside Border Patrol report.
The head of a Border Patrol agents' union said agent Brian A. Terry was shot to death Tuesday night north of the Arizona-Mexico border while trying to catch "bandits" who target illegal immigrants.
National Border Patrol Council President T.J. Bonner said Terry was waiting with three other agents in a remote area north of Nogales late last night when a gun battle with the bandits ensued. No other agents were injured, but one of the suspects was wounded in the shootout.
The Border Patrol said that Manuel Arianes, a.k.a. Manuel Arellanes Osorio, was wounded in the gunfight.
Arianes, 34, and a Mexican national, was convicted in Maricopa County Superior Court in 2006 for aggravated assault on a police officer, and had been deported to Mexico twice, according to sources familiar with his case.
Border Patrol spokesman Eric Cantu and FBI spokeswoman Brenda Lee Nath declined to confirm Bonner's account, but said authorities have four suspects in custody and are searching for a fifth.
FBI Special Agent Manuel J. Johnson confirmed authorities were still searching for a fifth suspect.
Johnson said Terry died shortly after he was shot about 11:15 p.m. in a remote and rugged area near Rio Rico, just north of Nogales.
No names of those in custody were available, Johnson said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Terry family for their tragic loss," said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin.
"Our commitment to Agent Terry and his family is that we will do everything possible to bring to justice those responsible for this despicable act" Bersin said.
“This is a stark reminder of the realities we face each and every day in protecting this border and protecting our communities,” said deputy chief Richard Barlow, United States Border Patrol, Tucson sector.
The FBI is leading the investigation with cooperation of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, according to CBP.
"Today we are deeply saddened by the loss of Agent Brian Terry, a patrol officer from the Nogales Border Patrol Station," the Arizona Cattleman's Association said in a news release. "We are thankful for his dedicated service to protecting the United States of America."
U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said, "This event is yet another reminder of the dangers the men and women of the Border Patrol face every day as they put their lives on the line to protect the American people.
"The increased violence in the border region demands that Congress provide the necessary resources and personnel to ensure the safety of all Americans, especially border patrol agents stationed on the border, and fulfill the Federal government's responsibility to secure our border," McCain said.
Terry was 40 years old. He is survived by his parents and three brothers and sisters.
Topic: Border Agent Killed In Shootout With 'Bandits' (Read 1295 times)