ARIZONA
A federal jury in Tucson found two men guilty of the first-degree murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in 2010, officials announced.
Thursday, the jury found Ivan Soto-Barraza, 37, and Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, 27, guilty of first-degree murder and other offenses for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, officials said.
The court scheduled the defendants’ sentencing hearing for Dec. 9. Both defendants face a mandatory sentence of life in prison for the murder.
According to evidence, this is what happened:
- On the evening of Dec. 14, 2010, Soto-Barraza, Sanchez-Meza and three other men were in the United States for the purpose of robbing drug traffickers of their contraband.
- While Agent Terry and three other Border Patrol Agents were patrolling the Arizona desert, members of the defendants’ group exchanged gun fire with the agents and one of the shots fired by a member of the defendants’ group killed Agent Terry.
The jury found both Soto-Barraza and Sanchez-Meza guilty of first-degree murder, second degree murder, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
Jurors also found the defendants guilty of assault on Terry and three additional federal officers – Border Patrol Agents William Castano, Gabriel Fragoza, and Timothy Keller.
The court scheduled the defendants’ sentencing hearing for Dec. 9, 2015. Both defendants face a mandatory sentence of life on the first degree murder charge (count 1).
“Agent Terry gave his life protecting our country. Today’s verdict cannot undo that tragedy and loss, but brings another measure of justice to Agent Terry’s family and the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “I commend the prosecution team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol and all other law enforcement partners who have assisted in the investigation and prosecution.”
Two other men, Manuel Osorio-Arellanes and Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez, previously plead guilty to first-degree murder for their roles in Agent Terry’s death.
Two men, Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga and Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, remain fugitives.