Guilty Plea in Border Patrolman’s Murder

TUCSON (CN) - A man faces up to life in federal prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to the first-degree murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Manuel Osorio Arellanes, 36, pleaded guilty to murdering Terry on Dec. 14, 2010, while "he and others were in the United States for the purpose of robbing drug traffickers of their contraband," the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego said in a statement.

"A member of the defendant's group" fired the shot that killed Terry, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Osorio will be sentenced on Jan. 11, 2013.

Still fugitives are Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga, Ivan Soto-Barraza, and Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, the FBI said. The Justice Department has offered up to $1 million in reward for tips that lead to their capture.

A fifth suspect, Lionel Portillo Meza, was arrested in Mexico and the United States is trying to extradite him, prosecutors said.

A sixth defendant, Rito Osorio Arellanes, pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery. He is in custody.

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