TUCSON, ARIZONA
Two men — Ivan Soto-Barraza and Jesus Lionel Sanchez-Meza — were sentenced to life terms today for the first-degree murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry officials announced last week.
U.S. District Judge David C. Bury gave both men additional prison time for other crimes related to the murders. They received four 20-year terms each, which are to be served concurrently, and a 10-year term for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, which will run consecutive to the life terms.
Soto-Barraza and Sanchez-Meza were convicted by a federal jury in October 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, and assault on Agent Terry and three additional federal officers – Border Patrol Agents William Castano, Gabriel Fragoza, and Timothy Keller.
According to evidence, during 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 on patrol when they exchanged gunfire with members of the defendants’ group. One of the shots fired by a member of the defendants’ group killed Agent Terry.
U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said, “The jury’s verdict and life sentences imposed today reflect a just result for a crime which has had a profound effect not only on the family of Agent Brian Terry, but also the men and women who daily put their lives at risk to keep us all safe.”
Two other men — Manuel Osorio-Arellanes and Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez, previously pleaded 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.