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SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — Mexican officials confirm two suspects were arrested Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol agent and Provo native Nicholas Ivie.
Fellow Border Patrol agents kept watch over Ivie's body Wednesday as it was transported from Tucson to Sierra Vista, where he and his family lived.
There was a dramatic mile-long procession here as the 30-year-old was returned home. His family members stood by in awe as they watched as hundreds of border agents rolled through this town of 46,000.
Related:
Authorities arrest 2 in connection with Border Patrol shooting
Mexican troops have arrested two suspects in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and the wounding of a second officer in Arizona, Mexican security officials said on Wednesday.But this town near the Arizona-Mexico border won't be the Border Patrol agent's final resting place. He is expected to be buried next week in Utah.
At Ivie's house, agents also stand guard.
"The Border Patrol has been fabulous," said Kevin Goates, a resident of nearby Naco, Ariz. "They've maintained a vigil at the house. They've had chaplains on shift in the home."
President Barack Obama called with his condolences Wednesday, more came from Washington.
"Today the commissioner of the Border Patrol came in from Washington, D.C., to express his condolences," Goates said. "It was a very touching meeting. At the end of his visit, they received a call from (U.S. Homeland Security) Secretary (Janet) Nepalitano."
The loss extends outside the circle of federal law enforcement agents, as residents of Naco, Ariz., and into the tiny town of less than 800.
"He's just like a war hero," said Richard Atkinson, Ivie's LDS stake president. "It's the same thing. He was guarding the border from terrorists."
Friends agree Ivie is a hero, and just a really nice guy who often spent his lunch hour playing golf with his buddies in Naco.
And so too will the two young daughters he leaves behind.
"The children are honestly too young to really understand what's going on," Goats said.
The Ivie family declined interview requests Wednesday, but we will get a chance to hear from them Thursday morning at a press conference scheduled for 11:00.
In the meantime, community members have set up a fund to pay for funeral expenses for Nicholas Ivie. Despite being killed while on duty, the U.S. government does pay for those expenses.
