It helped bring his killers to justice, and exposed Mexican police corruption. "Actually conducting the interrogation. Narcos: Mexico shows the growth of the Guadalajara Cartel, pieced together by Felix Gallardo out of warring factions. The government gave him and the two other former Mexican police officers immunity in exchange for information. Camarenas wife Mika and son Enrique Jr. serve on the all-volunteer Board of Directors together with former DEA agents, law enforcement personnel, family and friends of Camarenas, and others who share their commitment to alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention. Seventeen years elapsed, however, before prosecutors informed Verdugo that the testimony linking him to a hair found at the murder scene exceeded the limits of science. By then, Verdugo had been in prison for 32 years. A Mexican court has ordered the release of Caro Quintero after 28 years in prison for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena, a brutal. It also soured U.S.-Mexico relations, and President Reagan exerted significant pressure on Mexico to put a stop to their drug traffickers (via Chicago Tribune). The right arm was broken and showed numerous lesions. Zavala was helping Camarena in his undercover operations, The LA Times reported. Michael Pena is pictured playing the DEA Agent at right. eventAction: 'load' Before his departure, Justice Department lawyers began reviewing hundreds of cases for which Malone had analyzed forensic evidence and asked prosecutors nationwide to help identify ones in whichhis work played an important role. He graduated from Calexico High School in Calexico, California in 1966, and in 1968 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. On the other hand, Kiki's death starts a new revolution in the DEA: a homicide investigation called Operation Leyenda (which translates to Operation Legend). eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), See : The Loyalist Mod Death of a fella Mod and a Catholic Friend, See: True story behind Netflixs Narcos: Mexico. eventAction: 'click_ads' Hes been in custody since 1989, however. Kiki Camarena is murdered. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Camarena was on their heels for five years until in 1985, drug traffickers tired of being hunted and kidnapped him as he was leaving his job at the US consulate. },false) Anyone can figure out that that sort of thing is just going to get the U.S. government even more determined to come after you. He saw the possibility and the signs of an empire being builtthis narcotics empireand he wanted to put an end to it because he saw what it could possibly become.. He left the FBI in 1999 but remained on contract for more than a decade doing background investigations. hitType: 'event', Powered by. }); Enrique S "Kiki" Camarena Salazar was a real American undercover agent for the DEA, up until he died aged just 37 in February 1985. Special Agent Enrique Camarena worked with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) from 1974 through his abduction and murder in 1985 (Drug Enforcement Agency, n.d.). window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Gallardo was sentenced to 37 years in 2017 for the death of Camarena by a Mexican court (as well as the murder of Alfredo Zavala, a Mexican pilot), according to The Times. Now, his murder is being investigated. He was kidnapped Feb. 7, 1985. They positioned themselves on the streets surrounding his office at the U.S. consulate inGuadalajara, Mexico, ready to block the young federal agent if he tried to escape. Camarena, 37, who was known by the nickname Kiki, served in the U.S.Marine Corps before moving into law enforcementand becoming a DEA agent in 1975. (I.R.A) History &Background, Kiki Camarena The Brutal Torture & Death of aNarc, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, The Loyalist Mod Death of a fella Mod and a Catholic Friend, True story behind Netflixs Narcos: Mexico. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ In the latest installment of the Netflix drug drama, Camarena ( Michael Pena) moves his family to Mexico for a post in the DEA's Guadalajara office in 1981. A federal court tossed their convictions in 2017. He was a trial attorney for twelve years in Texas. Malone could not be reached forcomment. The opening scene and new credit sequence reveal that Kiki gets abducted by the boss of the Guadalajara cartel, Felix Gallardo (played by Diego Luna). ', Camarena is pictured with wife Mika and two of their sons shortly before his death, Camarena's disappearance made worldwide headlines in February 1985, and sparked fury from the Reagan Administration. But the nature of Camarena's torture wouldn't be known until the following year. And sure enough, thats what happened. B-roll. ga('ads.send', { It is only at the beginning of season two that we learn that it is Breslin, who spearheads Operation Leyenda, the agency's large-scale investigation into Camarena's murder. Camarena received numerous awards while with the DEA, and he posthumously received the Administrators Award of Honor, the highest award given by the organization. We are helping law enforcement get the word out about drugs to our youth, parents and schools., Kiki Camarenas son, Enrique Camarena is now a judge in California after serving as a deputy district attorney for years. Actor Michael Pena, who played Kiki in Narcos, researched the role of Kiki Camarena for Narcos: Mexico in part by speaking with the agents widow. lvarez subsequently initiated acivil suitagainst the U.S. government, charging that his arrest had breached the U.S.Mexico extradition treaty. He was interrogated under torture and murdered. Widow of U.S. lawyer found dead in Mexico on "strange" incident before his death; . (606) 8.5 2020 X-Ray HDR UHD TV-MA. } gads_event = event; Roberto Savianos non-fiction bookZero Zero Zero(2015) deals in part with Camarenas undercover work and his eventual fate. He was the kind of guy who just wanted to keep the streets safe. From 1973 to 1975, Camarena served in the United States Marine Corps. Camarena, the Mexican-born agent and father of three, was 37 years old. We sell bronze life-size busts of Kiki that are unveiled in schools and libraries throughout the country, not just in San Diego. While prosecutors were deciding whether or not to re-try the two men, they interviewed the three witnesses, where the allegations about the CIA involvement was revealed. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 7, 1985, D.E.A. My autobiography : A Belfast Child is out soon , see below for details: My autobiography: A Belfast Child is now available to pre-order on Amazon , launch date is 30th April. Camarena's captors beat and burned him, before using a power tool to drill into his skull. In my humble opinion we should legalise all drugs and remove the drug lords/gangs from the equation. In 1977, Camarena moved to the agencysFresnooffice, and in 1981, he was assigned to theirGuadalajaraoffice in Mexico. Camarena is pictured left. Camarena is the subject of the bookO Plata o Plomo? }); The Death of Kiki Camarena, a Martyr of the International Drug War. After serving in the Marine Corps for two years, Kiki was a Calexico fireman, Calexico police officer, and an Imperial County Deputy Sheriff. Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story about the arrest of Dr. Humberto lvarez-Machan in Los Angeles for the murder and kidnapping of DEA agent Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena Salazar. By the early '80s, Ronald Reagan was the new President and the agency was in full force. Image below of Book cover and outline of my storyYou can pre-order via this link on Amazon https://t.co/QAjG1d3u6HVisit my blog for more info: https://t.co/cpdGDOXdgy pic.twitter.com/71z7bgjwQ5. The agency was responsible for pursuing offenders, and they deployed hundreds of special agents domestically and internationally. Lopez said prosecutors showed him old photographs of former U.S. officials. Enrique S. Camarena Jr. was 11 when members of a narco-trafficking cartel tortured and murdered his father, nicknamed "Kiki," in Mexico in February, 1985 -- a tragic milestone in a drug war . if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ A CIA operative conspired with a drug kingpin to plan the brutal murder of a DEA Agent, according to multiple witnesses who have been re-interviewed about the 1985 case. His skull, jaw, nose, and windpipes were crushed. Take out your list of movies to watch and place The Last Narc at the top of your list. President Richard Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1973 in his crusade against drug trafficking and other drug-related offenses. }) By then, prosecutors and agents had begun interviewing witnesses again, including the three former Mexican police officers who had worked as drivers and security guards for some of the Guadalajara Cartels leaders. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, after his death, she formed the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation in 2004 with the help of retired DEA agents and her oldest son, Enrique, a deputy district attorney working in the South Bay. Enrique S. Kiki Camarena Salazar(July 26, 1947 February 9, 1985) was a Mexican-born American undercover agent for theUnited StatesDrug Enforcement Administration(DEA) who was abducted on February 7, 1985, and then tortured and murdered, while on assignment inMexico. The highly publicized abduction and murder in 1985 was one of the darkest moments in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history and provided the plot for the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico." Ive been reading a lot about Mexican gangs/ cartels recently and their sheer brutality and total disregard for the sanctity of human life has left me sickened and appalled in equal measures. Whats the true story? Camarena was married to Mika and they had three sons.[. Camerena was an undercover DEA agent that was captured and tortured by a cartel in the 80s. Golden Brown The Stranglers: Iconic Songs & the story behindthem. So, why would drug dealers go after and kill Camarena, a fairly low-level drug agent? A spokeswoman for the DEA, Mary Brandenberger, said she could not comment on ongoing investigations. In the spin-off seriesNarcos: Mexico, Camarena is played by American actorMichael Pea. In the aftermath of Camarena's death the DEA then launched their biggest homicide manhunt,Operation Leyenda ("Legend")(per DEA Museum and Visitors Center). Everyone knows that when you kill a cop or a judge, the entire wrath of the state is going to come crashing down on you. Kiki and Fredy were tortured for information for a period of over 30 hours, resulting in their deaths. The bodies were found wrapped in plastic, riddled with bullets, with blunt head injuries. I had come to know several of the DEA agents in Laredo. U.S. authorities offered a $20 million reward for his capture. This video is for entertainment purposes only. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ Taken at Gallardo ranch, he was tortured for 30 hours before being brutally murdered. Its now showing on Amazon Prime. He had been injected withamphetaminesand other drugs, most likely to ensure that he remained conscious while being tortured.[. November 16, only on Netflix. Set in the 1980s, the plot revolves around how an undercover agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Enrique S "Kiki" Camarena Salazar comes into the picture and tries to catch the drug traffickers red-handed. Mexican authorities provided audio recordings of parts of the interrogation to the CIA. agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena walked out of his office in Guadalajara, Mexico, and headed for a lunch date with his wife. Moreover, the DEA even went so far as to orchestrate the kidnapping in Mexico of a Mexican doctor who was alleged to have assisted with Camarenas torture. In the early afternoon hours of February 7, 1985, Camarena was leaving his post based in the U.S. Consulate office in Guadalajara to meet with his wife. In theNetflixdramaNarcos, Camarenas death and its aftermath are recapped in news footage in the first season episode The Men of Always. Jacob G. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. ga('ads.send', { Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, 37, was abducted, tortured and killed in 1985 while . In 1985, American DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by Mexico's most notorious drug lords. Sara Coso was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, the daughter of Secretary of Education Octavio Csar Coso Vidaurri and the niece of Governor Guillermo Coso Vidaurri. Agent Camarena, 37, a father of three children, was murdered in 1985 by drug cartel members in Guadalajara, Mexico. Kuykendall is quoted in the book Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs, and the Press by Alexander Cockburn. I want the truth to be out, Mika Camarena said. Enrique Camarena (July 26, 1947 - February 9, . Michael Malone, a longtime FBI agent and prolific expert witness, testified that hair samples taken from two suspects on trial in Camarenas murder Rene Verdugo and Juan Matta-Ballesteros matched hair recovered from the guest house where Camarena was tortured;therefore, it was compelling evidence putting both men at the scene of the crime. Video footage from the KXAS-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, to accompany a news story about the arrest of Dr. Humberto lvarez-Machan in Los Angeles for the murder and kidnapping of DEA agent Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena Salazar. }); Actor Diego Luna: "We are still living the consequences" of real-life story told in drug war series "Narcos: Mexico." 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There is too many ghosts behind me, Godoy said. Beyond that, the witnesses who provided information to authorities are closely tied to a former agent, Hector Berrellez, who has long alleged a CIA connection to Camarenas death and was accused by a defense lawyer involved in the case of encouraging a witness to lie. Kiki had relentlessly gone after Felix and his men. People familiar with the case said there are reasons to be skeptical that much will come of the new inquiry. He was likely injected with drugs to ensure he remained conscious throughout the ordeal. There is too many ghosts behind me. Those claims were wrong, not supported by forensic science. This new chapter in Narcos' story, as . He was a Marine. RELATED: Ranked: Top 10 Most Dangerous Characters On Narcos Coincidentally the Netflix Narcos: Mexico series has been screening and watching it I was able to align the story line/s with the brutal real life characters I have been reading about and those involved in Kikis savage murder. It was not the first time someone had claimed that U.S. intelligence was entangled with the cartel responsible for Camarenas death. Updated Nov 3, 2022 at 6:12pm DEA Kiki Camarena, the DEA agent that Dr. Delgado is accused of helping torture in Narcos Mexico Season 2. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and then executed. The men, who worked for one of Mexicos most powerful drug cartels,forced Camarena intotheir car and drove himto a cramped guest house nearby, where he was beaten, burned and eventually killed. Since I had represented some people involved in drug prosecutions in federal court in my hometown of Laredo, I was thunderstruck when I heard about the Camarena case. Sara Coso was a Mexican socialite who was the lover of Guadalajara Cartel lieutenant Rafael Caro Quintero during the 1980s. At 881 Lope de Vegaa residence owned by Ruben Zuno Arce, a dealer and associate of. On the face of it, it would appear that Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and killed because he was responsible for discovering and destroying a massive marijuana plantation in Mexico that cost the drug cartel billions of dollars. The book alleges that DEA officers investigating Camarenas death knew that the drug agents murder was a joint operation between the drug cartel and the DFS, an agency with intimate ties to the CIA., Kuykendall said, The CIA didnt give a damn about anything but Cuba and the Soiets. hitType: 'event', Among the countless acts of indiscriminate and at times very personal , repulsive murders the case of Kiki Camarena struck a chord deep in my soul and I felt physically sick when I researched and learnt more about his abduction, torture and eventual death. Guy before you leave please take the time to read extracts from my forthcoming autobiography A Belfast Child , which tells the amazing story of my life growing up in the Loyalist heartlands of West Belfast during the worst years of the Troubles and my 25 year search for my missing catholic mother. Do not sell or share my personal information. On Thursday, February 7, 1985, at 2:00 pm, Special Agent Enrique Camarena left the American Consulate in Guadalajara to meet his wife, Mika, for lunch. He is telling the story of his father,DEA agent Enrique Camarena and story of #RedRibbonWeek #inspiringyoungminds Thanks for your fathers and your service to our communities .#msasdonaroll pic.twitter.com/2rAEDOOVgM, Principal Serce (@mr_serce) October 23, 2018, He told NBC San Diego of his dad, You know, I think about him every day. Ernesto Don Neto Fonseca and Rafael Caro Quintero were other cartel leaders involved. He makes a swashbuckling entry and reclaims his cartel! In 1986, American investigators came into possession of the tape that captured the torture of Camarena (via The Washington Post). U.S. Justice Department agents and prosecutors obtained statements from witnessesimplicating a Central Intelligence Agency operative and a DEAofficial in the plot to torture and murder Camarena, according to the witnesses, Camarenas widow and others familiar with the case who were interviewed by USA TODAY. Kiki Camarena, the DEA agent that Dr. Delgado is accused of helping torture in Narcos Mexico Season 2. in economics from Virginia Military Institute and his law degree from the University of Texas. Prosecutors in Los Angeles brought a series of criminal cases accusing cartel operatives of taking part in Camarenas kidnapping and murder. He was raised in California, graduating from Calexico High School in Calexico, California in 1966. Accused cartel boss Rafael Caro-Quintero has been wanted in connection with Camarenas death since he was indicted in 1987. Mika Camarena is pictured meeting Ronald Reagan at the White House shortly after her husband's death. Throughout season one, we don't know who, exactly, is relating the story of doomed DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. He keeps a crumpled copy of his immunity agreement in his jacket pocket. }); In the first episodes of Narcos: Mexico, Kiki Camarena (played by Michael Pena) and Felix Gallardo (played by Diego Luna) are juxtaposed as twin protagonists: One trying to solidify the drug trade and the other trying to stop it in an era when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was still an underappreciated agency headquartered over a strip club. Murder of Kiki Camarena Camarena's kidnapping By 1984, the Guadalajara Cartel had expanded into the cocaine industry in partnership with Colombian cartels, and it became increasingly violent as it took over Tijuana from Alberto Sicilia Falcon 's organization and fought back against DEA efforts to weaken its drug business. Camarena opens the show in a scene that shows hes been abducted. Camarena's widow and the mother of his three sons, Mika, told the publication: 'I want the truth to be out. The lawyer asked a federal judge to order the government to turn over 'all discovery concerning alleged CIA involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Agent Camarena'. In late 2018, federal prosecutors decided not to retry the men. Investigatorsare pursuing additional witnesses to see whether the allegations can be corroborated. And so for me, its still a little bit about the legacy of duty. Enrique Camarena Salazar Whats my thoughts ? A spokesman for the CIA declined to comment. Camarena was tortured at Gallardos ranch over a 30-hour period, then murdered. eventAction: 'click_adunit' They blindfolded him and, between questions, beat and burned him. In February 1985 Camarena was kidnapped by drug traffickers hired by Mexican politicians in Guadalajara, Mexico. But who was Kiki Camarena and how did he enter the Guadalajara drug scene? The Red Ribbon Campaign was created to honor Camarena and to raise awareness about the dangers and effects of using drugs. The altered state of the various crime scenes from which evidence was recovered, however, initially complicated the integrity of the investigation. Set in the 1980s, the plot revolves around how an undercover agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Enrique S "Kiki" Camarena Salazar . Narcos Kiki Camarena Scene Mark Marquez 125 subscribers Subscribe 3.9K Share 487K views 7 years ago I do not own this video. let gads_event; He was injected with amphetamines and other drugs to ensure that he remained conscious while being tortured over a 30-hour period, culminating with a hole drilled into his head with a power drill." Camarena was kidnapped and killed during a harrowing time in efforts to stop drugs from pouring across the U.S. southern border. Kiki Camarena's bio and legacy Kiki Camarena died in 1985 and was a Drug enforcement agent since 1974. At this point, nothing would surprise me. He attended high school in Calexico (a portmanteau of California and Mexico) where he met high school sweetheart and future wife, Geneva 'Mika' Camarena. We are one of the worlds fastest growing After his military service he became a police officer in his hometown. U.S. agents working in Mexico reported being tailed by cartel operatives, and one agents car was shot up by machine gun fire outside his house. To get the message across loud and clear, President Ronald Reagan even completely shut down the U.S.-Mexico border, causing an unbelievable backlog of traffic on the Mexican side of the border. In 1984, acting on information from Camarena, 450 Mexican soldiers backed by helicopters destroyed a 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre)marijuanaplantation inAllende (Chihuahua)with an estimated annual production of $8 billion known as Rancho Bfalo. Camarena can be heard screaming on the tape as he was brutally tortured. The three men's testimonies have been described as 'incredible' by a lawyer working for the recently releasedVerdugo. In the 1990s, Mattas lawyers tried to force the government to turn over information about the CIAs alleged involvement. Consisting of four one-hour segments, it will be the most fascinating drug-war documentary you will ever watch. Click here to order :https://tinyurl.com/2p9b958v. Reportedly, the farm had an estimated annual production worth $8 billion. Lira, a former state policeman in Mexico who provided security for a Guadalajara Cartel kingpin on the side, told USA TODAY that prosecutors said he might have to testify in court if the case evolves. This individual was the one charged with silencing the anti-narcotics agent for one serious reason: he had discovered that Washington was . Until his capture last week, the 69-year-old Caro Quintero was the Drug Enforcement Administration's most wanted man, accused of killing DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985 and then resuming a drug . Close US-Mexicanborder? Alyssa Diaz and Mika Camarena attend the Netflix Original Series Narcos: Mexico, special screening at LA Live in Los Angeles, CA on November 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. The United States government pursued a lengthy investigation of Camarenas murder. In the process, youll see why the drug war is so utterly corrupt and why there are people who have a vested interest in seeing that it continues. Enrique Kiki Camarena, the DEA law enforcement officer murdered in Mexico in February, 1985, was apparently not the victim of the Mexican capo Rafael Caro Quintero, but rather, of a dark member of the CIA. Kiki Camarena (Michael Pena), the DEA agent with a relentless can-do attitude and a Boy Scout spirit, does not make it out of his posting at Guadalajara alive. The book shows what goes on behind the scenes of the drug war in Mexico and the U.S. Camarenas body was found in a rural area outside the small town ofLa Angostura, in the state of Michoacn, on March 5, 1985. The abduction and murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena(2005), by retired DEA Resident Agent in Charge James H. The story of Camarena's kidnapping and subsequent grisly death at the hands of a Mexican drug cartel was most recently brought to viewers via the wildly popular Netflix original series "Narcos:. But on his way from the building to his vehicle, he was abducted by armed men who shoved him into a car. It is unclear how much weight authorities ascribe to the allegations, but theyinterviewed the witnesses several times, questioning them for hours about Camarenas murder and a series of meetings in the months before.