Agent Terry’s family wants to know why their son was outgunned in the desert.
According to the Associated Press, today Tucson District Border Partol Agent Brian Terry’s parents have requested U.S. District Judge James Teilborg to allow them to be a party in the case against Jaime Avila and 19 gun and drug smugglers connected with their son’s murder on December 14 th, 2010.
They want to know why Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) supplies Mexican smugglers with AK 47s and Barrett 50 caliber rifles, but Tucson District Border Patrol supplies half the members of its elite interdiction Tactical Teams with beanbag guns. They apparently wonder why politically correct American policies would rather use “non-lethal” force against criminals – no matter the risk to Agents.
On March 4th Senator Grassley on the Judiciary Committee asked Alan Bersin, Commissioner of the ATF:
“As you know, I am investigating the connection between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) operation “Fast and Furious” and the firefight on December 14, 2010 that claimed the life of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) Agent Brian Terry. Terry’s attackers were apparently armed with assault rifles originally purchased as part of ATF’s Operation Fast and Furious. The BORTAC unit used thermal binoculars to identify the rifles and demanded that the suspected aliens drop their weapons. Yet, according to an affidavit filed by FBI Agent, Scott Hunter (US District Court, 2011) even after the aliens refused to disarm themselves, the BORTAC unit was under standing orders to first use non-lethal bean bag rounds. The aliens responded with gunfire, and Agent Terry was killed in the ensuing exchange.” (US Senate 2011)
According to the Judiciary Committee record, Agent Brian Terry’s brother, Kent Terry, has said that of the four individuals in the BORTAC unit, only two were armed with standard firearms at all. Two carried only beanbag guns. These agents did not even have the means to defend themselves.
After the World Trade Center attacks in 2001 Departments of Customs and of Border Patrol were placed under overall supervision of The Department of Homeland Security.
Was Secretary of Homeland Security (Arizona’s former Governor) Janet Napolitano, aware some agents were patrolling the dangerous Arizona desert virtually unarmed?
Has anyone asked Secretary Napolitano about her “non-lethal” policy? Will she be held accountable for reckless endangerment – for the death – of our Agent in the Arizona Desert?
Agent Terry’s family wants to find out first hand.
US District Court (2011). Search Warrant. Judge Thomas Ferraro Case No. 10-10251M. http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/OSORIO~1.PDF?tag=contentMain;contentBody
US Senate, (2011). Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Senator Grassley transmission of committee interrogative to Alan Bersin, Commissioner of ATF. http://grassley.senate.gov/about/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=32473
