FBI offering reward for
slain border agents gun

Thursday, July 30, 2009

By Carl Braun
Examiner.com

Suspects in the slaying of Border Agent Robert Rosas

San Diego, CA — It has been seven days now since the brutal murder of Border Patrol Agent Robert Rosas and there have been many conflicting reports coming from “reliable” sources within the Mexican police and media establishment. Chief among them were that the Tecate Police had arrested a man, Ernesto Parra Valenzuela and four others (to the right), in connection with the Rosas attack and that Valenzuela had in his possession at the time of the arrest a Border Patrol issued sidearm. 

The FBI has been mum. No new information, no reports, no press releases. Only that they are still investigating who actually shot Agent Rosas. Today, according to the LA Times and Fox News,  the FBI issued a $10,000 reward for anyone producing the border agent’s firearm.

Why don’t they just ask the Mexican Authorities? They have it, right?  Haven’t we been told for a week they had the guy and the weapon? Well they might have the weapon that killed the Agent but it definitely isn’t the slain agents Border Patrol issued sidearm.  BP is now carrying the H&K P2000 .40 caliber and the gun that the Mexican authorities found on Valenzuela is a 9mm.  Or so we’re told.

Did Valenzuela kill Rosas? If so why hasn’t he been charged and why is he is in a holding cell, per a Mexican Judge, for up to 40 days? Mexican police are probably still sweating the details out of him, one painful detail at a time.

The possible answer is in the FBI’s silence.   They either don’t know yet who killed Rosas OR they know and are putting all the pieces together. Probably the latter. These guys are nothing if not efficient. Either way. They aren’t talking, at least not yet.

 Anonymous sources within the Border Patrol have indicated that when we find out what really happened, we will indeed be surprised. If Valenzuela did kill the agent with the 9mm handgun he was carrying then it is likely he brought that gun into the US with him. Illegal Immigrant’s carrying firearms is rare. Mexico has the some of the toughest gun laws in the world and the possession by a private citizen of any firearm above .380 caliber is strictly prohibited and carries a huge penalty. The 9mm weapon he reportedly had in his possession is a forbidden firearm in Mexico for anyone but police, military or those issued special permits, which are extremely hard to get.

So now that we know that the Border Patrol issued firearm is still missing and that Valenzuela likely brought the 9mm into the country with him, the big question is why? Did he or those in his group plan on violence? Was this just a normal people smuggling operation or were there more sinister motives? Did they intentionally seek out Rosas or any available Border Agent for violence. It wouldn't be the first time. Agents have been shot at nearly 50 times this fiscal year and attacks on agents are in the hundreds according to Reuters.   

If we really want to find out what happened, we best rely on the FBI reports than those coming north by carrier pigeon across the border. The FBI is notoriously stingy in giving out information especially while an investigation is underway. They have one suspect in custody in the United States right now, 39-year-old man Salvador Picaso-Ambriz and he is being held on immigration charges. He was caught after turning on the stolen Border Agents cell phone in a San Jose hospital's emergency room where he was seeking treatment for undisclosed injuries. Authorities tracked the “ping” from the phone and quickly arrested him. At least two people know what happened, Valenzuela and Picaso-Ambriz. One of these days, the FBI will tell us. Hopefully soon.

Agent Robert Rosas will be laid to rest on Friday July 31^st after a private ceremony in El Centro. Citizen border watchers are planning a candlelight vigil in memory of the agent between 6pm and 9pm on Saturday at the Agents’ own Campo/Pine Valley Station. Right off Highway 8 near Kitchen Creek Rd. The public is invited to attend and pay their respects. Border Patrol, while unable to sanction such a vigil, is privately thankful for the citizen support.

Carl Braun is an analyst for the Homeland Security Policy Institute Group and he's logged 5,000-plus hours on the border. He has written several books including his most recent on Border Insecurity, “Above All Else”. Contact Carl at Carl.Braun@BPAUX.org.

NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For further information please refer to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

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