Rep. Darrell Issa released a video today honoring Brian Terry, the U.S. Border Patrol agent slain in December with a gun allegedly involved in the federal gun-running scheme dubbed “Operation Fast and Furious.”
The California Republican, who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government reform, and Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley are spearheading an investigation into Fast and Furious and other campaigns in which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allowed guns to go to drug kingpins in the hopes that they would lead to violent Mexican cartel leaders.
The ATF operations backfired, and some of the firearms were used in crimes. The ATF now admits that it lost track of most of the 2,000 weapons, and two of the crimes in which some of the guns were used included the murders of Terry and immigration officer Jaime Zapata.
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Last week, Issa introduced the Brian A. Terry Memorial Act of 2011 to rename the Bisbee, Ariz., Border Patrol station in honor of Terry.
"Our nation's Border Patrol agents have a distinguished history of working to protect our borders. agent Terry, who served our nation through his military service and his career with the Border Patrol, gave his life defending this country. Naming the Bisbee station in his honor recognizes his sacrifice, service and heroism," Issa said in announcing the act.
The memorial bill, H.R. 2668, has 52 Republican and Democratic cosponsors, including principal cosponsor Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Terry's family issued a statement saying, "From the very start, Brian loved his job as a Border Patrol agent and loved his fellow agents. The new Naco Station named in Brian's honor will serve as a lasting memory for all those who knew Brian."