Justice Seeking Public Help in Shooting of Border Agent Terry
The Justice Department announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of four fugitives allegedly involved in the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. The announcement came July 9, as the indictment charging five individuals in the case was unsealed in Tucson.
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According to the indictment, Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga, Ivan Soto-Barraza, Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes and Lionel Portillo-Meza are charged with first degree murder, second degree murder, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, use and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, assault on a federal officer and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. A sixth defendant, Rito Osorio-Arellanes, is charged only with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
The indictment was actually handed up by a federal grand jury in the District of Arizona on Nov. 7, 2011. It alleges that the defendants had illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico to rob drug traffickers of their contraband. In addition to the murder of Terry, the indictment alleges that the five defendants assaulted Border Patrol Agents William Castano, Gabriel Fragoza and Timothy Keller, who were with Agent Terry during the firefight.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes has been in custody since his arrest the night of the shooting. Rito Osorio-Arellanes has been in custody since Dec. 12, 2010, when he was arrested by Border Patrol agents on immigration charges. Justice said the indictment was unsealed in order to seek the public’s assistance in locating the fugitives.