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Crime

Family of Slain Border Agent Brian Terry Sues Federal Officials Over ‘Fast and Furious’

Dec. 14, 2012 5:55pm Jason Howerton

U.S. Border Agent Brian Terry was killed in December 2010 with firearms from Operation Fast and Furious. (AP)

PHOENIX (TheBlaze/AP) — The family of a slain Border Patrol agent has sued federal officials over the botched “Fast and Furious” gun operation.

Agent Brian Terry was mortally wounded on Dec. 14, 2010, in a firefight north of the Arizona-Mexico border between U.S. agents and five men who had sneaked into the country to rob marijuana smugglers.

Federal authorities conducting “Fast and Furious” have faced tough criticism for allowing suspected straw gun buyers for a smuggling ring to walk away from gun shops in Arizona with weapons, rather than arrest them and seize weapons. Further, there were no solid tracking mechanisms to trace the guns once they crossed into Mexico.

The lawsuit filed Thursday and made publicly available on Friday came from Terry’s parents against six managers and investigators for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The family also sued a federal prosecutor who had previously handled the case but is no longer on it, and the owner of the gun store where two rifles found in the firefight’s aftermath were bought.

The family alleges that the ATF officials and federal prosecutor created a risk to law enforcement officers such as Terry and that the firearms agents should have known their actions would lead to injuries and deaths to civilians and police officers in America and Mexico.

This Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011 picture shows part of a cache of seized weapons displayed at a news conference in Phoenix. The ATF is under fire over a Phoenix-based gun-trafficking investigation called “Fast and Furious,” in which agents allowed hundreds of guns into the hands of straw purchasers in hopes of making a bigger case. Two of those weapons were found in December at the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, igniting a scandal that has resulted in a congressional investigation and review by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The family also alleged that firearms agents and the prosecutor sought to cover up the link between Terry’s death and the botched gun smuggling investigation.

The “Fast and Furious” operation was launched in 2009 to catch trafficking kingpins, but agents lost track of about 1,400 of the more than 2,000 weapons involved.

Authorities say the ring was believed to have supplied the Sinaloa cartel with guns. Mexico’s drug cartels often seek out guns in the U.S. because gun laws in Mexico are more restrictive than in the U.S.

Some guns purchased by the ring were later found at crime scenes in Mexico and the United States.

The probe’s failures were revealed – and later examined in congressional inquiries.

So far, 15 of the 20 people charged in the gun smuggling case have pleaded guilty to charges.

Authorities have a separate case pending in federal court in Tucson against five men charged with murder in Terry’s death.

So far, one man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Of the five men accused in Terry’s killing, two are in custody, and three others remain fugitives.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (35)

pavepaws
Posted on December 15, 2012 at 3:40pm
I guess the federal government is only concerned with gun control in the US, they’ll gladly allow guns to be rampant elsewhere.

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ICEDRAGONNITE
Posted on December 15, 2012 at 3:12pm
Hopefully this suit calls for Holder, HAJI HILLARY, Bo and PANETTA to testify as well, and that the Unholy Ones are found guilty of High Treason and murder.

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Luzmaria1
Posted on December 15, 2012 at 2:39pm
Actually, this (Fast & Furtious) should be considered an “act of war” against Mexico. Obama’s people aided & abetted the enemy of MX, the deadly, insane cartels. The arms Obama’s people provided them were used to kill not only this agent but also over 400 citizens of MX. Why does not the MSM dig into this & his people supplying arms to the radicals in Bengazhi? Is this not an act of war? Is this not a high crime warrenting an investigation for impeachment?

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on December 15, 2012 at 10:43am
It’s just what 0bammy and Aholder want…work for more commie lawyers and the system tied up even more unnecessarily.

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paulwbrown
Posted on December 15, 2012 at 9:19am
Fast and Furious was about as dumb as a crime fighting program could be. A similar program under Bush had some tracking devices in the guns and Mexican cooperation but the program was rightly terminated. The Obama administration put into effect a similar program on steroids with no controls in spite of objections from some field agents. Hopefully the law suit might expose some those executives in ATFE and DOJ responsible. Holder should resign for either supporting the program or being ignorant of it.

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Chet Hempstead
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:40pm
This nonsense will have to be dismissed. If you can sue people for selling guns to Mexican criminals who take then south and use them to commit crimes, then you should be able to sue people for selling guns to American criminals who take then north and use them to commit crimes, and if people were allowed to do that, it would mean the end of gun sales in the United States.

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- darkknight91
  Posted on December 15, 2012 at 1:02am
  Don’t be such a knucklehead. There’s a big difference in selling guns legally to American citizens than running guns to drug cartels to Mexico in hopes their little scheme will destroy the 2nd amendment. I say good for these people. This scam needs to stay in the headlines.
  
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- Chet Hempstead
  Posted on December 15, 2012 at 1:21am
  What’s the difference? If owning a gun is a right, it doesn’t matter if you are a citizen or not. A right is a right. It’s not something the government gives us; it’s something everybody’s supposed to have that the government is forbidden from taking away from us. If the guys who made the purchases were only suspected Mexican gangsters rather than known to be convicted Mexican gangsters, then they have as much of a right to buy guns as you, me, or anybody else.
  
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- paulwbrown
  Posted on December 15, 2012 at 10:37am
  Chet, the right to bear arms is in the U.S. Constitution, not the U.N. charter The right applies to American citizens, not the world’s citizens. It seems obvious to me. I have to believe that you are not serious, because if you are, WOW!
  
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- Luzmaria1
  Posted on December 15, 2012 at 2:43pm
  Nonsense.
  
  IF that were done, it would simply lead to better training with review prior to selling warring factions in other countries and criminals here. IF criminals break laws her for drugs, etc., what makes you think criminals would respect gun laws. The only people who will heed the law are those who already heed laws. The lawless will simply continue to arm and kill whomever they wish.
  
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QuincySmith
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:21pm
If the law suit filing was made public, why not name the six managers and investigators?

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Chromo200
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:05pm
I pray they win and win big .. I hope through the courts the truth will come out.

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MrKnowItAll
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 8:35pm
A Double Horrible Tragedy. #1- Mr. Terry was Killed by weapons supplied by Team Obama. #2- The Disgusting Lack of Honesty and Integrity by Team Obama. So many people today have lost Truth. Our President should be ABOVE ALL in every MORAL Aspect on Earth. Instead his Thug Behavior is Celebrated and Encouraged. It is 2013 Almost. We have D.N.A. Technology that can catch Criminals. (WOW!)…Sad Part… We cannot seem to learn the simplest things, like realizing our History and thinking by now, everyone alive should have a Natural Instinct that tells them to be CIVILIZED. Even Dogs Learn how to Behave. That is SAD for Our Society.

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- 2B
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 10:01pm
  I pray they win. I would contribute to their cause. I hope they sue Obama too. He should be impeached and removed. Lord knows if he was a Republican and this happened he would be.
  
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- 2B
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 10:09pm
  I hope they win. I would contribute to their cause. I hope they go after Obama. He should be impeached and removed from office for this and Benghazi. Lord knows if Obama was a Republican or an Independent or a Libertarian he would be out on his ear.
  
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Redmanblackdog
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 7:48pm
So we have the death of a border agent, death of an ambassador, death to the economy, death to coal, and oil drilling, death to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, death to the constitution and the sheep stand and wait for the slatter.

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neverending
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 7:32pm
I am so happy that they are suing this corrupt and evil government. I just hope and pray they get a good and decent and law abiding judge and not one of obamas minions.

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FloridaFarmGirl
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 7:14pm
I have often thought about how Brian Terry’s parents could survive such a cover up and killing of their son by our own government. I wish them the best of luck. It’s a wonder they haven’t left America yet to get away from a corrupt and criminal government that killed their son and then lied about it. God Bless you, Mr. and Mrs. Terry, and may your son rest in peace.

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- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 7:27pm
  Your beliefs are felt by more than just you……
  
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progressiveslayer
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:47pm
Holder and anyone in the regime including Barry should be in prison for this since they provided the weapon that was used.

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- neverending
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 7:31pm
  In prison and all keys thrwon away. Even prison is too good for those bastards
  
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DZ-015
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:16pm
Oh to see Eric “The Bag” Holder plead the Fifth.

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- TurboCat
  Posted on December 15, 2012 at 5:30am
  I am so glad they decided to sue. This administration has gotten away with murder in F&F and Benghazi. I do not want them to get away with either of the murder scandals. There are hundreds of victims of murder from the guns that went to Mexico. There are American deaths with Brian Terry and the four Americans in Benghazi. Oblame-a has been “re-elected” somehow, and he is more arrogant than ever!
  
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txbigfoot
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:11pm
Good for them. I hope Holder gets named. But in all reality, I know that some liberal judge will give him a shield. I wish them the best in their quest for justice.

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- rickc34
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:15pm
  Eric Holder put these guns in the hands of killers and Obama knew it. Sue them for all you can.
  
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MiCurmudgeon
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:03pm
I hope they sued Holder !!!!!

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Gregb
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:03pm
obama will win again…same old story… the alphabet (communist) news channels back our marxist emperor.

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Fitzzz
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:01pm
Can they call Eric Holder as witness , than get him for lying under oath ?

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- MDECKER
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:37pm
  The Feds will settle, terms of the settlement kept secret, and Holder will not suffer at all. Holder can’t be bothered with such trivial matters like the death of a Border Patrol Agent, he’s still investigating Benghazi and now is tied up with the Sandy Hook investigation. Oh, and putting together stiffer gun laws for the President to review, because Mayor Bloomberg says they should. Besides, there is a Hawaiian trip scheduled.
  
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Pantloadian
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:01pm
Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.

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- 1776freedomofspeech
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:02pm
  Eric Holder killed people.
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:06pm
  Damn WANGO, So many of us have been trying to tell all of you trolls here that very same thing for a couple of years now.
  Oh, but you mean that when your favorites such as 0bama and Holder might be involved, but not in the situation of the school shooting, right?
  
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1776freedomofspeech
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 5:57pm
About time.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 5:57pm
May God grant them justice and may Obama and all involved in this matter soon come to justice as well.

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- gyro
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 6:02pm
  this
  
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