AZMEX F&F EXTRA 2 OCT 2015
Note: More on the verdict and statements. Also another source indicates sentencing will be in Dec.
Very little media or "activist" interest despite an estimated 1,000 plus "Hispanics/Latinos/Mexicans" killed with weapons provided to drug gangs by Obama administration .
Gracias
Posted: Oct 01, 2015 12:06 PM MST
Updated: Oct 01, 2015 2:20 PM MST
Two suspects convicted in Brian Terry murder
Written By Associated Press
http://www.kvoa.com/story/30165228/two-suspects-convicted-in-brian-terry-murder
A jury has found two men guilty of murder in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent whose death exposed the botched federal operation known as Fast and Furious.
The jury found Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza and Ivan guilty of all counts. Jurors had begun deliberations Wednesday afternoon, a week after the trial began in federal court in Tucson.
Sanchez-Meza, also known as Lionel Portillo-Meza, and Soto-Barraza were part of a five-man crew that planned on robbing drug smugglers when they encountered Agent Brian Terry and three others on Dec. 14, 2010.
A gunfight ensued, and Terry died of a single gunshot wound. Two guns found at the scene were part of the Fast and Furious operation that allowed criminals to buy weapons that federal authorities intended to track.
Terry's family released the following statement following the conviction:
"My brother Brian Terry had a special love for freedom and courage. For the past two weeks we have sat in the courtroom facing two of the men that took that freedom and courage from him.
The verdict delivered by the jury today is testimony of the vicious and violent assault that took place upon Brian and his fellow border patrol agents in Peck Canyon on the night of December 14, 2010.
Moreover, Brian would've been very pleased to see his brother agents testify over the last two weeks and their display of love for him almost five years after his death.
We would like to thank the team of prosecutors from the US attorney's office that prosecuted this case and the Border Patrol and FBI agents that have continued to investigate the case and continue to pursue the two fugitives.
We would also like to thank the government of Mexico for their assistance in the apprehension and extradition of these two defendants. We would hope that the government of Mexico continues to actively pursue the two fugitives that we believe are living in Mexico today and also responsible for Brian's death.
Although Operation Fast and Furious was not permitted to be discussed in the courtroom over the past two weeks, it still looms large in our lives.
The many mistakes made by ATF and Department of Justice officials that originated this ill conceived gun trafficking investigation have resulted in a clear and present danger to law-enforcement and the general public on both sides of the border.
Ultimately, it was these officials who allowed weapons to flow to the drug cartels and ultimately into the hands of the man that killed Brian Terry. These government officials should also be held responsible in the court of law.
The Terry family will continue to pursue justice in this respect. Finally, I would like to thank the members of the jury for their work in this trial and the community of Tucson for their support of the Terry family through the years."
The attorney for the the defendants also released a statement following the guilty verdict:
The most difficult aspect to stomach about the guilty verdicts is that my client was never extended a plea offer. We specifically asked for a plea to Second Degree murder and the Government would not settle on anything that could result in a sentence less than life in prison. The two defendants (the mastermind and the most likely shooter) who had exposure to the death penalty and had far more culpability than Mr. Soto-Barraza will be sentenced to 30 years.
fin
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