Family of Fallen Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Testify Before Congress – Demand Justice
Posted by Lady Liberty on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, 9:15 PM
The House Oversight and Government Operations Committee held a hearing June 15, 2011 on the ATF “fast and furious” scheme that allowed guns to “walk” into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels.
(Immigration Clearing House)
Two of the ATF “walked” guns ended up at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry south of Tucson.
The Tucson Citizen reported:
(This is the opening statement from Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s family at the House Oversight and Government Reform hearings held June 15, 2011 on the ATF Fast and Furious scheme to allow weapons to “walk” into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels.)
Good morning Chairman Issa, Ranking Member Cummings and other members of the committee. My name is Robert Heyer. I am the cousin of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry. I am joined on this panel today along with Brian’s mother, Josephine Terry; and sister, Michelle Terry Balogh. They have asked me to give this opening statement on behalf of the entire Terry Family.
It was just ten days before Christmas last year when our family received the devastating news; Brian had been shot and killed while engaged in a firefight with a group of individuals seeking to do harm to Americans citizens and others.
We knew that Brian faced imminent danger on a daily basis as part of his chosen career, but we also knew that he and his unit were highly trained and equipped with the best weapons this country could provide to their fighting men and women.
They were confident in overcoming any threat that they might face in the desolate section of desert that they patrolled. He and his team prided themselves as being the tip of the spear that defended this country and its borders.
The telephone call came in the middle of the night. I know that this type of horrible notification has been received many times during the last 10 years by the families of our military’s sons and daughters as the United States has fought wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
After all, Brian had taken an oath to defend this country from all terrorist threats.
What makes Brian’s death so shocking to his family is that he did not die on a foreign battlefield; he was killed while in the line of duty as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.
He died not in Iraq or Afghanistan, but in the desert outside of Rio Rico, Arizona some 18 miles inside of the U.S. – Mexican border.
His killers were not Taliban insurgents or Al Qaeda fighters but a small group of Mexican drug cartel bandits heavily armed with AK-47 assault rifles. The rifles and the ammunition they carried were designed to do one thing and that was to kill…
…Brian was due to complete his shift of duty that night in the desert outside of Rio Pico at midnight on December 15 and then take some much deserved time off. He had already made his travel plans to fly back to Michigan and spend the Christmas holiday with his family. Brian’s attention to detail had insured that all the Christmas gifts he had meticulously selected for his family had already been bought and sent in the mail prior to his arrival. Brian did ultimately come home that Christmas; we buried him not far from the house that he was raised in just prior to Christmas day. The gifts that Brian had picked out with such thought and care began to arrive in the mail that same week. With each delivery, we felt the indescribable pain of Brian’s death, but at the same time also remembered his amazing love and spirit.
We hope that you now know a little bit more about our Brian. We ask that you honor his memory by continuing to ensure what he worked so hard to do and ultimately gave his life doing; that is to keep this country safe and its borders secure. We hope that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is forthcoming with all information that the panel is seeking. We ask that if a government official made a wrong decision that they admit their error and take responsibility for his or her actions. We hope that all individuals involved in Brian’s murder and those that played a role in putting the assault weapons in their hands are found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Finally, it is our hope that no more law enforcement officers die at the hands of these heavily armed Mexican drug cartel members operating on and inside the borders of the United States.
The Terry Family would also like to acknowledge and thank the Special Agents in the FBI’s Tucson Field Office and the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Tucson Office that have worked so hard and continue to work in bringing Brian’s killers to justice.
The Marines have the motto of Semper Fidelis which most of you know is Latin for always faithful. The Border Patrol has the motto of Honor First. Brian lived a life of honor, duty and sacrifice which reflected both of these mottos and the two organizations he was so proud to serve in. It is now up to all of us to put honor first and to remain always faithful in the quest for justice. On behalf of the entire Terry Family, thank you.
I would like to point out that it is because of the tireless efforts of Senator Charles E. Grassley and Representative Darrell Issa that these hearings into Operation Fast and Furious have been made possible. I’m convinced that they will get to the truth despite the shameful efforts of the Obama administration, including Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano, to stonewall every effort to get the facts of this disgraceful program.
ADVERTISEMENT
-
Featured Story:
NEWLY DISCOVERED VIDEO Previously Scrubbed From YouTube Shows Trayvon Martin Participating in Local Fight Club
Published May 21, 2012 at 12:19 am - 34 Comments
FurryGuyJeans commented:
Shipping guns across the southern border to criminals and terrorists was an attempt by this administration to make the American people demand tougher gun control laws.
And it nearly worked.
saveus commented:
It’s time for the obama administrtion to come clean and apoint a special prosecutor to investigate.
nell commented:
Yes, it was a plot, and they think they can just lay low until this blows over, and then resume their efforts in another way. Or, more likely, they already have Plan B in the works.
God bless Senators Grassley and Issa’s every effort. For all our problems, we are still blessed with good, standup Americans in many places, esp. our military but also in gov’t and business, even in education and media, though not the old media. We should be grateful for them, doing the hard work and not just talking a good game.
Sasja commented:
It is past time for Congress to do its duty to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and to bring to justice all enemies, foreign and domestic, including this administration.
StrangernFiction commented:
We should be grateful for them, doing the hard work and not just talking a good game.
Please. All we’ve heard from this R House is talk.
StrangernFiction commented:
All we’ve gotten from this R House is talk, I should say.
big L commented:
Mexico legalized all drugs in their country. Everything turned to crep after that. It was open season after that…forsellingdrubs and for killing. first thing the US should demand that the Mex govt re-enact laws on drugs, at least to where they were.
Imo this family will NOT get any justice.
aprilnovember811 commented:
Those involved and I mean all the way up to the impostor in the White House need to be charged as accessories to murder. This is not “Policy.” This is a crime. They are accessories to murder.
Rock commented:
#2 June 15, 2011 at 9:30 pm
saveus commented:
It’s time for the obama administrtion to come clean and apoint a special prosecutor to investigate.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Why in Gods name would you trust anyone this administration would appoint, half of the Justice Department is in bed with WTF and his bed wetting racist Attorney General Holder. This was orchestrated by WTF, Holder, and Big Sis in an attempt to further restrict gun ownership here. We are talking about Socialist scum out to destroy this country.
Militant Conservative commented:
Knew about this months ago.
This is going to damage the regime badly.
This is serious $hit folks.
Powder is dry
Rock commented:
Bad month for the Democraps the hits just keep coming. I smell a rat somewhere.
workingclass artist commented:
Impeach the illegal alien fraud & his henchmen
jainphx commented:
What makes the killing of Officer Terry all more unbelievable, is that all he had to shoot back with was a bean bag gun, now tell me, WHO gave those orders. They sat back and watched all kinds of assault rifles go into Mexico, and at the time, was saying that all guns in Mexico came from America in an attempt to pass strict gun laws here. They weren’t tracing them, they didn’t give one crap, all they wanted was the pr to disarm Americans.
Now that provable murder was do to one of the guns they allowed “to walk” into Mexico, someone should be charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. This goes to Holder, and maybe even the One himself.
jainphx commented:
EVERY STINKING day this crowd shows they are Anti-American, and actively conspires to bring us down. I’m sick to my eye balls with the illegal crap they get away with. We need a complete house cleaning. The next President upon being swore in, should say that all government departments Heads and all upper tier employees, will have their resignations on her desk in the morning. She (I hope) will then vet them all and re-instate the ones that pass, all others can petal papers. This stuff as got to stop.
jainphx commented:
petal should be peddle.
big L commented:
when the National Guard was stationed in a major airport near me the day after 9/11, the troops were walking around with no ammo in the rifles.
BigAlSouth commented:
#13. Yes. Agent Terry had been issued bean bag ammo.
“Here’s the part Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Border Patrol management are trying to hide: Border Patrol Agent Terry and the BORTAC team were under standing orders to always use (“non-lethal”) bean-bag rounds first before using live ammunition. When the smugglers heard the first rounds, they returned fire with real bullets, and Agent Terry was killed in that exchange. Real bullets outperform bean bags every time.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261283/bringing-bean-bag-gunfight-mark-krikorian
Absolutely disgusting.
#1AMERICAN commented:
impeach the whole crooked admin…they are un-american
retire05 commented:
StrangernFiction says all we’ver heard from the R’s is talk.
Nevermind that this program, “Fast and Furious” was happening right under the nose of the Democrat held Congress who is responsibile for oversight. Agent Terry was murdered before the new Republican majority was sworn in in January. Obviously, even with a dead Border Patrol Agent, the Democrats were not even up to talking about it.
But what the hell, when a party wants to make it look like guns are the problem in Mexico, and those guns are coming from the U.S. and we need stronger U.S. gun control laws, removing guns from the hands of even law abiding American citizens, what’s one dead Border Patrol agent if it advances the cause.
I remember how this administration put out that 90% of the captured weapons in Mexico were sold here in the U.S. There was a problem with that because Mexico, not wanting to take responsibility for its failed state, did not provide the U.S. with ALL the guns they captured, just those they suspected were from the U.S. Turns out, most of the weapons captured in Mexico are from (tah-dah) China.
We are constantly being told that Mexico is our friend. Wake up, people. Mexico allows its citizens to sneak into our country where we educate their children, provide their citizens with medical care as well as all types of welfare, and we relieve the Mexican government from having to take care of its own. In return, we get dead Border Patrol agents, dead ranchers, dead nuns, dead Houston Police officers, shot and wounded Arizona sheriff’s deputies, kidnappings, drugs brought into our nation to be sold to our school children, shoot-outs on I-10, gang bangers that go into black neighborhoods in L.A. and commit drive by shootings, but don’t ever doubt that Mexico is our friend.
While Mexico gritches about a fence on our border, they build one on their own southern border because after all, they don’t want all those illegals from Hondouras coming into Mexico. If you are illegal in Mexico, and you are caught, you are first robbed, perhaps raped, then thrown into jail until you are deported. If you are caught a second time, you’ll spend years in a Mexican jail.
Mexico is no friend. Mexico ignores their citizens sneaking into our country for pure economic reasons. It’s a win-win situation for Mexico; they not only don’t have to care for their poorest citizens (we do that), when those citizens come here and work, they send their money back to Mexico. It is estimated that remittances sent back to Mexico is Mexico’s second largest source of income, second only to the oil sales and ahead of tourism.
The Democrats, and some Republicans, don’t want to rock the boat because they are prostituting themselves for the Hispanic vote. But news flash, it is the native born Hispanic that sufferes the most from the drug runners who live in our midst, and in plain sight in their neighborhoods. If you are an illegal drug runner from Mexico, what better place to blend in than in a Hispanic neighborhood in a sanctuary city?
Everyone of us should be on the phone to our elected representatives demanding the border be sealed, illegals deported, companies fined to the maximum if they hire illegals, all social welfare benefits ended for illegals, except for emergency care of the most serious illnesses and that for every dime we spend on ER care, Mexico is billed for it. We should refuse to send any Social Security check to anyone living in Mexico, and inform Mexico that no American citizen will be allowed to enter Mexico until they take action on their side of the border. We could vitually shut down the Mexican tourism business in one day. On an individual basis, we can refuse to purchase any product made in Mexico. Yeah, I’m talking boycott of all Mexican products from avacados to Wrangler jeans.
Lola commented:
To think fine men like this put their lives on the line daily to protect us, but if he had defended himself and shot one of the low-life murderous monsters instead, he would have ended up jailed like Ramos and Compeon were under Republican Bush. Republican, Democrat, does the party really matter as much as the heart and morals of the individual serving? Americans need to quit being blinded by partisanship and see that there are many evil men in both parties ruining our nation. It is a rare politician who isn’t a self-serving thug himself, and our law enforcement, military, and law-abiding citizens in general do not get the government they deserve from the thugs we elect from either party. Republicans and Democrats are just two lanes of a one-way road heading straight off a cliff–but the left lane gets you there faster.
Lola commented:
By the way great comment, Retire05. If we had elected strong and decent people to public office, there would be no need for you to write it–all your recommendations would already have been implemented and Brian Terry would be alive and productively enforcing them.
enjay commented:
With an actual war raging on the US southern border, it is criminal that our border agents are issued bean bags. To make matters worse, at the upper levels of this administration, the ok was given to arm enemies of our country and assist in letting guns walk across in to Mexico to be used against American defenders. Add to this, at every turn this administration fights border states’ attempts to protect their citizens and borders. Something is ridiculously wrong with this picture. If citizens like anything about America, better wake up and recognize we are headed off the cliff of non-existence with our current “mysterious” leadership.
One can only ask who’s side this president and administration is on? Meanwhile our men and women are sent to the Middle East to serve as “ducks in a shooting gallery” with undefined missions, when they should be on our soil defending our country and constitution. I’m all for swift military force when our country is attacked, but not this politicized, self-serving game of “I want to be King of the World” and all the perks that come with it.
Rathernot@cbs.tv commented:
This Gunwalker matter is the most despicable, underhanded scheme to undermine the Second Amendment ever seen. I assume you all remember the oscumbag administration’s effort early last year to increase registration demands on buyers and firearm dealers throughout the southwest under the guise of a claimed need for more stringent scrutiny of gun sales in the region due to the border insurgencies from the Mexican drug cartels.
It’s pretty obvious what they did. They sent the guns to Mexico, allowed all hell to break loose unchecked, claimed 90% of the weapons being used came from the U.S., and thus there is a need for draconian gun control oversight.
Evil f&%^@!g bastards.
m
Freddy commented:
One item that should not be lost in this discussion is the FAILURE of the FEDERAL government to even IDENTIFY who was responsible.
While I watched the government hack from the justiice department explain how they were performing intense investigations that they were concerned might be compromised, all I could think of was how stupid the gunrunner sting operation was in the first place. Whatever super secret investigation the justice department is performing right now is a FARCE!
Issa needs to call in every level of supervisor, one level at a time, from the lowest level to the very top.