Friendly Fire Killed Agent, Not Illegals

Ivie family holds vigil

In a tragic accident involving three Border Patrol agents responding to a triggered remote sensor, agent Nicholas Ivie has been killed in the line of duty "by friendly fire" according to NBC. A second unidentified agent "was wounded and  ... released from the hospital after undergoing surgery." The third agent is unharmed. The report said a "lack of evidence of other criminals in the area" contributed to the official conclusion.

Gabriela Suacedo Mercer had stated in a Facebook post that Ivie had been "killed by illegals" long before any precise information was available. The Huff Post article she linked to in her statement reported that "authorities have not identified any suspects."

As events unfolded this afternoon, Mercer's Facebook page underwent a revamp to increase visibility with a new banner and a post of her attack video against opponent Raul Grijalva, but no mention of the event that occurred near Naco or any clarification of her statements. Mercer did tell ABC affiliate KGUN 9 that “It angers,” her.

“We keep hearing from Washington that the borders are secure. 'They're more secure than ever.' That is a lie. This is another proof that our borders are not secure,” she said.

Mercer fellow Tea Party member, House Representative and candidate for U.S. Senate Jeff Flake posted a statement urging action in contrast to his Democratic opponent Richard Carmona, who "urged caution to those placing blame in this case."

"Wait for the results of the investigation," he said according to KGUN 9, acknowledging the border clearly isn't secure.


Darrell Issa, California Republican, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair and Saucedo Mercer chum urged authorities to “avoid drawing conclusions before relevant facts are known.”

“This shooting is a tragic reminder of the dangers the brave men and women who guard our borders face every day,” he said.
 
Ivie was killed near the location agent Brian Terry was murdered in 2010, a region nicknamed "cocaine alley."   President Obama "expressed his sadness for the family’s loss, and his gratitude for Agent Ivie’s selfless service to his nation," and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar visited the Ivie family Friday morning and spoke with Border Patrol agents in the region..

NBC went on to report that "State and federal officials said immediately after the incident that the shootings were committed by armed criminals.  And since then, Mexican authorities have said they arrested two men in Agua Prieta, northern Sonora state, a few miles from where the shooting occurred," but even at this late stage no information about their identity, legal or immigration status, or connection to the scene of Ivie's death was available.

Tuscon Weekly published a number of official statements from Robert Heyer, Chairman of the Brian Terry Foundation and cousin of Terry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar, Congressman Ron Barber, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, State Senator Gail Griffin, Rep. Chad Campbell, Arizona House Minority Leader and others.

Arizona Daily Star published photo essays here.

With a 10:10 p.m. dateline Oct 5, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that James L. Turgal Jr., FBI special agent in charge in Arizona, "cautioned that federal investigators had reached no conclusions about what happened,"but that "a high-powered rifle and a handgun were found near the shooting scene, though it was not clear whether they were connected to the incident."

The LA Times article goes on to report:

"A .223 Bushmaster rifle, seized on Wednesday, was "recovered in Mexico in the vicinity where Border Patrol agent was murdered," according to one of the documents. It says the weapon was purchased in the United States but does not specify where. A .38-caliber Titan Tiger revolver was recovered separately Tuesday in Mexico, also near the Naco area, a second document says. That trace record included this alert: "Urgent High Profile Border Agent Shot." The record says the weapon was originally purchased in February 2009 from the Frontier Gun Shop in Tucson ... There was no suggestion in the gun-trace records that the two weapons found after Ivie was killed were tied to Fast and Furious."

Todd Davis, Agent Ivie's brother in law told a regional CBS affiliate  that Ivie was "a very selfless man with his family, with his friends, in anything he did."

Donations can be made to the Nicholas Ivie Memorial Fund : National Bank of Arizona : 1160 East Fry Boulevard Sierra Vista, 85635 (520) 439-5469 or to any other branch.

 As of this writing, one visitor to Mercer's  Facebook page, Margaret Engle Reyes, demanded,

 "Myself and my family - those in AZ Are anxiously awaiting you forthcoming apology for blaming those NOT responsible for shooting the Border Patrol agents- I have friends in USBP and they certainly don't need u or those like u making their job harder by fanning the flames of dissension and hatred

When will the retraction and apology be forth coming?"

 As of  9:25 am PST Oct 6, this post from Reyes was deleted from Mercer's Facebook page without a response from Mercer or her staff, but a new visitor, Richard M. Ponce, has commented:

Your condemnation of an illegal shooting a Border Patrol Agent before the all the facts were presented and a valid conclusion rendered, shows that you, like most Tea-Party members and associates, have the bad habit of issuing statements that have absolutely no merit or validity. Your platform should be "Hang 'em first and high, then release the facts.

This post has also ben deleted as of 8 p.m. Oct. 6, with no statement or response.

A third visitor,  Tracy Frank added this:

Heads up Tucson peeps: vote for Raul M. Grijalva...we cannot allow Gabriela Saucedo Mercer to get one step closer to Washington. Her funding is already drying up, kinda like her career, because other Republicans are already onto her BS. While I am known to fight for a woman candidate - we need more of 'em in DC! - I wouldn't vote for this woman to be my county dog catcher. She lies like she took a class for it in college...remember that when you hit the polls on Nov. 6th.

By 5:30 pm Oct 7 this post was removed. No response from Mercer.

In a press release dated Oct 5, Arizona radio host Carlos Galindo and Immigrant Advocacy Foundation spokesperson said, "Gabriela Saucedo Mercer's comments are offensive to the immigrant community and create further resentment already festering against immigrants in a very polarized Arizona."

Candidate Mercer has not responded to requests for a statement, but she did post this late Sunday:

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer 5 hours ago I am not sure if this is the official report on the death of Border Patrol agent Nicholas Ivie. http://azstarnet.com/news/local/union-border-agent-who-died-opened-fire-first-on-other/article_cd7aab3a-10ce-11e2-b1ae-0019bb2963f4.html