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One of five men charged in the 2010 shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry pleaded guilty today to first-degree murder.
Three of the four other people charged in Terry’s death — which has been linked to the “Fast and Furious” operation — are still fugitives, while another was arrested by Mexican authorities in September.
Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, the man who pleaded guilty to murder today, won’t face the death penalty, as part of a plea agreement.
According to that agreement, six men — including Osorio-Arellanes — illegally entered the United States with the intent of committing armed robberies against marijuana smugglers, and one member of the group was arrested by Border Patrol agents while the group was going to retrieve their guns. They used weapons that were hidden somewhere in the United States — a couple of which were eventually linked to the ATF’s “gunwalking” operation.
On December 14, 2010, the remaining five men went looking for marijuana smugglers to rob, when they ran into Border Patrol agents.
A firefight ensued, in which Terry died and Osorio-Arellanes was shot and captured at the scene.
The plea doesn’t offer any additional information on who Terry’s shooter is, or if any of the “Fast and Furious” guns were used to shoot him.
