U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
Two Mexican men were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tucson Wednesday to life terms for murdering a Border Patrol agent.
Agent Brian Terry was shot in the back in Peck Canyon north of Nogales near Rio Rico in December 2010 during a gunfire exchange between agents and a group of drug robbers, federal officials said.
Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza and Ivan Soto-Barraza were sentenced on first-degree murder convictions and related charges. The secondary charges got them additional sentences to be served concurrently.
The two were convicted in October after being extradited from Mexico. Officials said they were part of a gang of five men intent on robbing drug smugglers passing through the area when they encountered Border Patrol agents.
Terry's death brought to light a federal undercover operation called "Fast and Furious." Under it, agents allowed 1,000 guns to be sold to smugglers, with the intention of tracking them into Mexico to find drug cartel operatives.
Agents lost track of most of the guns, and two were found at the scene of Terry's killing.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.