Finally they caught him. It's about time!
Posted on 09/08/2012 3:06:59 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
Mexican federal police announced Friday that they have arrested a suspect in the killing of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, the slaying at the center of the scandal over the botched U.S. gun-smuggling probe known as Operation Fast and Furious.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez Meza is one of the five men charged with killing Terry in December 2010 during a shootout in Arizona near the Mexico border. One is on trial in Arizona and the other three remain fugitives. Sanchez was arrested Thursday in Sonora state.
Two guns found at the scene were bought by a member of a gun-smuggling ring that was being monitored in the Fast and Furious investigation. Critics have knocked U.S. federal authorities for allowing informants to walk away from Phoenix-area gun shops with weapons, rather than immediately arresting suspects.
In Operation Fast and Furious and at least three earlier probes during the administration of President George W. Bush, agents in Arizona employed a risky tactic called gun-walking - allowing low-level "straw" buyers in gun-trafficking networks to leave with loads of weapons purchased at gun shops. The goal was to track the guns to major weapons traffickers and drug cartels in order to bring cases against kingpins who had long eluded prosecution under the prevailing strategy of arresting low-level purchasers of guns who were suspected of buying them for others.
During Operation Fast and Furious, many of the weapons weren't tracked and wound up at crime scenes in Mexico and the U.S., including the Terry shooting.
In July, U.S. authorities made a rare disclosure linked to the botched gun-smuggling probe, revealing identities and requesting the public's help in capturing the four fugitives accused in the shooting death of Terry.
The release of the suspects' identities in an unsealed indictment came with the offer of a $1 million reward for information leading to their capture.
The FBI said it was seeking information related to Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga, 31, Ivan Soto-Barraza, 34, Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, 34, and a man identified as Lionel Portillo-Meza, which Mexican police said was an alias of the man arrested Thursday in Puerto Penasco, Sonora.
Portillo-Meza's age and birthplace were unavailable. The other three fugitives were born in Mexico, but their hometowns were not available.
Authorities had previously released the identity of the fifth suspect, Manuel Osorio-Arellanes of El Fuerte in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. He was shot during the gunfight and has been in custody since the night of the shooting. He has pleaded not guilty in the case, telling investigators that he raised his weapon toward the agents during the shootout but didn't fire, the FBI said in records. His age was not immediately available.
All five men have been charged with murder. They also face charges of assaulting four federal agents.
FBI agents declined to discuss which fugitive is suspected of firing the shot that killed Terry. They also would not comment on whether the weapon was linked to an Operation Fast and Furious purchase.
The five men, plus another who faces lesser charges in the case, went to the U.S. from Mexico in order to rob marijuana smugglers, the indictment said.
Hussein will claim credit for “solving” this case now.
The rhetoric at the time was that guns from the U.S. were causing so many deaths along the border and in Mexico that we need to have more restrictions on gun sales.
They were right about the deaths, but it was because U.S. government agencies were facilitating the sales of guns to people that gun dealers would normally not do business with.
You know I type Bruer first and then know it thought no it was Davis that I read. I am going to have to go back and do some more investigating.
I am going to stick with Davis until I correct myself because the emails that I was reading, had ties back to Clinton WH.
Hussein will claim credit for “solving” this case now.
Agreed. Gotta tie up those loose ends before the debates. I wonder how many weeks before he announces his plan to close guantanamo by the end of the year.
Holder got arrested?
Yep, you be correct it was Bruer....do not know why Davis was stuck in my head
Nice analogy.
I ahould have known better! I had dinner with her last Tuesday night and she was SO excited because she was planning to go to hear Obama speak in Charlotte on Thursday night. We live in NC, but it is a good distance from here to Charlotte. I haven't had the heart to call and ask her if she actually got to go since the venue for the speech was changed due to the “severe” weather. I will find out when I see her in Sunday School tomorrow. Since she knows how I feel about Obama, we get along well because we know to avoid talking about politics when we are together!:)
Nothing will come of this. Since the death penalty is in play Mexico will not extradite to the US.
The guy will walk.
Sunday school, now there is a huge opening for a review of Matthew 26:34.
The most overriding factor is the fact her husband is an attorney. Combine that with a follow up of Matthew 26:15.
Maybe a light bulb will illuminate for the first time somewhere.
Why aren’t Holder and Comrade Zero in jail as well?
A little late but interesting ...
Click the keyword Aliens to see more illegal alien, border security, and other related articles.
Don't forget that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for Southern Arizona released all 5 (illegal alien) suspects within 60 days of Agent Terry's death.
“Unlike Obummer’s, Bush’s program notified the Mexican government and actually had trackers on the guns, so they knew where they were going.”
You are correct. Holder perjured himself by implying otherwise and had to retract his statements when Bush admin officials spoke out.
Of course, the “media” didn’t give the retraction as much coverage as they did the “Blame Bush” perjury.
Mexican Federal Judiciial Police arrested someone?
Must not have paid his Mordida.
Los Federales ARE the criminals in Mexico. This guy is just a sucker they’re setting up for the fall.
maybe so but remember, the Mexicans are pissed because of F&F and the guy can sing. Him staying alive not in their control is the current administrations worst nightmare.
Finally they caught him. It's about time!
ONE suspect — there were several. They also said this may not be the one who actually pulled the trigger and killed him.
“Jesus Leonel Sanchez Meza is one of the five men charged with killing Terry in December 2010 during a shootout in Arizona near the Mexico border. One is on trial in Arizona and the other three remain fugitives. Sanchez was arrested Thursday in Sonora state.
FBI agents declined to discuss which fugitive is suspected of firing the shot that killed Terry. They also would not comment on whether the weapon was linked to an Operation Fast and Furious purchase.”
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