TUCSON, Ariz. -- A U.S. Border Patrol agent was gunned down after he encountered several suspects who were targeting illegal immigrants for robbery in southern Arizona, officials said Wednesday.

Agent Brian A. Terry, 40, was killed late Tuesday near Rio Rico, Ariz., according to a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.

At least four suspects are in custody and another is still being pursued.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Terry family for their tragic loss," CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin said in a statement. "Our commitment to Agent Terry and his family is that we will do everything possible to bring to justice those responsible for this despicable act."

The FBI and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office are investigating Terry's death.

Terry, who was a member of CBP's special response team, grew up near Detroit and graduated from Flat Rock High School in 1988, according to the Arizona Republic.

KOLD-TV in Tucson reports the incident occurred just after 11 p.m. Tuesday in the Peck Canyon area north of Nogales.

The leader of a union representing Border Patrol agents said Terry was trying to catch bandits who target illegal immigrants for robbery.

National Border Patrol Council President T.J. Bonner said Terry was waiting with three other agents in a remote area north of Nogales when a gun battle began. A CBP spokesman would not confirm that account.

Prior to Terry's death, the last fatal shooting of a Border Patrol agent was on July 23, 2009, when Robert Rosas, 30, was killed by unidentified assailants while responding to suspicious activity in a known smuggling corridor near Campo, Calif., CBP officials said.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the killing is an "unconscionable act of violence," according to a statement released Wednesday. She had planned earlier this week to visit the region on Friday, but will apparently move her trip up a day because of the shooting, the Arizona Republic reports.

In May, President Obama authorized the deployment of up to an additional 1,200 National Guard troops to the Southwest border to provide support for surveillance, reconnaissance and narcotics enforcement to augment CBP and U.S. Customs and Immigration (ICE) authorities already in place. Those deployments began on Aug. 1. Obama also requested $600 million in supplemental funds for enhanced border protection and law enforcement activities.

"Over the past year and a half, this administration has pursued a new border security strategy with an unprecedented sense of urgency, making historic investments in personnel, technology and infrastructure," Napolitano said in a statement released on July 19.

"These troops will provide direct support to federal law enforcement officers and agents working in high-risk areas to disrupt criminal organizations seeking to move people and goods illegally across the Southwest border," the statement continued.

Napolitano also announced in July that more than $47 million in fiscal year 2010 Operation Stonegraden grants for the Southwest border states to support law enforcement personnel, overtime and related costs. Nearly 80 percent of the funding will go to Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, up from 59 percent in 2008.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/15/border-patrol-agent-killed-southern-arizona/

The Border situation is completely out of control. RIP to an American Hero.

But the border is safer than ever! Isn't that what Nappy says, so how could this happen? What Americans need to do is get about 3 million people to physically line up from the coast of Cali to the gulf and march south every night armed and loaded and turn people around regardless of their condition. If any hostilities are met they are to be dispatched immediately. Its only a matter of time before the violence in Mexico spills over into here and become a daily occurrence.

its kind of like war vets who make it through war and then come home to get killed by AMERICANS , while we continue raising arms against 'foreign enemies'



the saddest kind of irony I can think of


these were people targeting illegal aliens who cost this agent his life,,,

The bandits were illegals.

didnt see that stated anywhere in the article,,,,

"A U.S. Border Patrol agent was gunned down after he encountered several suspects who were targeting illegal immigrants for robbery in southern Arizona, officials said Wednesday." that's where......wait a sec...poorly constructed, the gist I got was the illegals who robbed the bank were being targeted by border patrol, but who knows

You could actually read that a couple different ways without the proper punctuation I can see Ms. Harmonys point......I believe it meant the Us Border patrol was targeting illegal immigrants but hard to tell with the way it is written......

It was written that way on purpose, so the news media can be "politically correct" and not "offend" anyone.
They refuse to tell the whole story.

He was gunned down by individuals, (Americans???), who were robbing illegals.

That's how I read it.

http://policelink.monster.com/topics/79351-bpa-brian-a-terry-usdhs-cbp-border-patrol-us-govt-eow-12-15-2010/posts




Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was shot and killed near Rio Rico, Arizona, while attempting to apprehend a group of armed subjects. The suspects had been preying on illegal immigrants with the intent to rob them.


Agent Terry and several other agents were attempting to arrest the group when shots were exchanged between the suspects and agents. Agent Terry was reportedly struck in the back by rounds fired by a suspect armed with an AK-47.


Agent Terry was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds early the following morning.


Four members of the group were taken into custody and at least one suspect remains at large.


Agent Terry was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the United States Border Patrol for 3.5 years. He is survived by his parents, brother, and two sisters.

They could be illegals robbing illegals.

This has been going on for years, the last time an agent was killed was in 07. The scum responsible are Mexican bandits here illegally and prey upon other criminals and law enforcement. They rob other illegals in hopes of finding drugs. June of last year 3 govt. workers were shot at near Aravca and in 07 police found a truck from NV that was shot to hell and a man and woman dead inside it (illegals). Rob Krentz was murdered by no doubt an illegal. There have been other agents killed in recent years in auto accidents chasing illegals. This is just a little of what is actually going on.

Actually an Agent was killed in 2009 in California.

???? did i miss something somewhere? what is historic? unprecedented sense of urgency? Gawd, they wanna just lie about that big eared prez....

i missed the part that said they were Americans... can you clarify please?

I was talking Arizona, and there have been other agents killed because of illegals just not by a gun.

I thought you were talking nationwide.