Mexico captures notorious drug lord Caro Quintero wanted in kidnapping 198527 . Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena | Just Think Twice He graduated from Calexico High School in Calexico, California in 1966, and in 1968 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Belfast Books Thanks for promoting my bookmate. Roberto Savianos non-fiction bookZero Zero Zero(2015) deals in part with Camarenas undercover work and his eventual fate. Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, 37, was working for the US government in Guadalajara, Mexico when he was abducted, tortured and killed by cartel members in February 1985. TheHistory ChanneldocumentaryHeroes Under Fire: Righteous Vendetta(2005) chronicles the events and features interviews with family members, DEA agents, and others involved in the investigation. Gallardo, known as 'The Godfather', remains behind bars for his role in the murder. In 1984-85, Camarena was working on a major case against "Rancho Bufalo," a marijuana plantation. An internal Justice Department investigation in 1997 found he had testified falsely before Congress. Camarena was married to Mika and they had three sons.[. Camarena's case recently received renewed interest after it became the center of the new Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. 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. All three series tell the story of Kiki Camarena, a 37-year-old DEA agent assigned to work in Mexico during the 1980s. Kiki joined the Drug Enforcement Administration in June of . But after Berrellez figured out what was really going on, he was taken off the case. And revealing as well! View these interviews at But on his way from the building to his vehicle, he was abducted by armed men who shoved him into a car. The ending is a sad one, and what happened to Kiki Camarena would change the face of Mexican drug cartels forever and lead to the emergence of El Chapo. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ }); Now, his murder is being investigated. UK orders only if you live outside the UK email me belfastchildis@googlemail.com and Ill send you a link for ordering outside the UK. }); Case Study Analysis: The Enrique Camarena Case - Free Paper Sample Camarena Autopsy Report | Belfast Child He was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and received his B.A. Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena The beginning of "Red Ribbon Week" Trial opens . In his four-year stint, he gathered much information on the drug cartels and chased several traffickers. Trump and US face logistical nightmare if he follows through with threats. Season 1. When Mexican soldiers destroyed the plantation based on information from Camarena, he was. I had to tell them that he had been. Whats the true story? Send him email. He is. 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. Lemon characterized them in a court filing last year as containing never-before disclosed, incredible and contradictory accounts by all three witnesses who claimed to have witnessed CIA operatives working alongside cartel members. Lemon 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.. The Death of Kiki Camarena, a Martyr of the International Drug War. Ann Ogilbys brutal murder: Forgotten victims of theTroubles, Kriss Donald The Brutal Racist Killing of an InnocentSchoolboy, Senior Police Officer II (Calexico Police Dept. It all started with one man. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar would never be seen alive again. Godoy said in an interview that he spoke to DEA officials in April 2019 about Camarena's killing. They then forcibly brought him to the United States to stand trial in federal district court. Camerena was an undercover DEA agent that was captured and tortured by a cartel in the 80s. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and then executed. Kiki Camarena, the DEA agent that Dr. Delgado is accused of helping torture in Narcos Mexico Season 2. [News Clip: Camarena - Arrest] - The Portal to Texas History Traces of drugs were also found in his body. Camarena was also a Special Agent on the original Imperial County Narcotic Task Force (ICNTF) while working in Calexico, California. By then, federal agents had launched a manhunt like few others in U.S. history. 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Alex Murdaugh's son Buster 'collapsed' outside court after dad was convicted of double murder. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 7, 1985, D.E.A. A special unit was dispatched to coordinate the investigation in Mexico, where government officials were implicatedincluding Manuel Ibarra Herrera, past director of Mexican Federal Judicial Police, andMiguel Aldana Ibarra, the former director of Interpol in Mexico. The Tragic Death Of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena, Wikimedia Commons/United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Agent Camarena, 37, a father of three children, was murdered in 1985 by drug cartel members in Guadalajara, Mexico. The altered state of the various crime scenes from which evidence was recovered, however, initially complicated the integrity of the investigation. Kiki and Fredy were tortured for information for a period of over 30 hours, resulting in their deaths. Widow of U.S. lawyer found dead in Mexico on "strange" incident before his death; . He had called at 1.30pm from his office at the American Consulate in Guadalajara . 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." 1. The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. Narcos Mexico: Was Kiki Camarena really kidnapped and tortured? They told her they were investigating the claim, but she said they did not provide details. But who was Kiki Camarena and how did he enter the Guadalajara drug scene? eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Agent Camarena was kidnapped in February 1985, taken to Caro-Quintero's house at 881 Lope de Vega in Guadalajara, and interrogated and tortured for two days. Ultimately, Camarena's death had a significant impact on the DEA in the years after, and turned a new page on just how violent the war on drugs was. 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. Rafael Caro. 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. Mika Camarena, whose given name is Geneva Camarena, was high school sweethearts with Kiki. Narcos Mexico Is Not the Education We Need (Review) | NACLA He is surrounded, gagged, and shoved into a beige Volkswagen. Zavala was helping Camarena in his undercover operations, The LA Times reported. Narcos: 10 Most Brutal Kills, Ranked - ScreenRant And so for me, its still a little bit about the legacy of duty. Ive dealt with everything else, Mika Camarena said. President Richard Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1973 in his crusade against drug trafficking and other drug-related offenses. (Dec. 4). Moreover, if its vengeance for costing the cartel lots of money, why not simply assassinate him? Enrique Camarena Salazar Whats my thoughts ? 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.). Fonseca, who was convicted in the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena . However, towards the end of season one, the gang kidnaps, tortures, and mercilessly murders Kiki. And Im going to be serving my county, serving this community in a different way., Kiki Camarena spent three years in Calexico for the DEA before he was assigned to the agencys Fresno office and then to Mexico, where he worked out of its office in Guadalajara. "The CIA helped kill DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena," say witnesses This is the story of Camarena, the drug cartel he infiltrated, and the narc who . He was interrogated under torture and murdered. The result was a murky blend of drug trafficking, corruption and crime-fighting in Guadalajara. ga('ads.send', { The U.S. government effectively closed the border with Mexico to pressure its reluctant Mexican counterparts. Murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena was dark moment in 1980s drug war She told the newspaper, Since retiring as a skin-care consultant, I can spend more time as president of the foundation. They were mostly guys in their early 30s who had joined the DEA with the patriotic aim of winning the war on drugs. In the aftermath of Camarena's death the DEA then launched their biggest homicide manhunt,Operation Leyenda ("Legend")(per DEA Museum and Visitors Center). Jacob G. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. A federal court rejected the request, saying there was no evidence tying the government to the smuggling ring. In the spin-off seriesNarcos: Mexico, Camarena is played by American actorMichael Pea. RELATED: Ranked: Top 10 Most Dangerous Characters On Narcos Despite vigorous protests from the Mexican government, lvarez was brought to trial inLos Angelesin 1992. Ruben Zuno Arce, a Mexican citizen convicted for his role in the 1985 torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena died in a U.S. federal prison in Florida. (1988, July 31). He was about to expose the operation when he was kidnapped on February 7 while he went to have lunch with his wife, Mika. These psychos were obviously baying for blood Mod blood, to beexact. The Torture and Execution of Kiki Camarena You cant just put it in a drawer and forget about it, said one official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and did so only on condition of anonymity. The Camarena murder never made any sense to me. After getting the information, the criminals murdered Agent Camarena and buried him. At the time of Camarenas death, Matta ran a fleet of airplanes that U.S. investigators said supplied Nicaraguan rebels and smuggled drugs. Camarena, the Mexican-born agent and father of three, was 37 years old. Agents shocked as cartel boss involved in torture death of DEA window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Carlos Somonte/Netflix. The DEA assigned the case to a special agent named Hector Berrellez,a highly decorated DEA special agent who plays the central role in The Last Narc. Narcos Kiki Camarena Scene Mark Marquez 125 subscribers Subscribe 3.9K Share 487K views 7 years ago I do not own this video. Years later, another Justice Department review found he had repeatedly created scientifically unsupportable lab reports and provided false, misleading, or inaccurate testimony at criminal trials.. Enrique " Kiki " Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 - February 9, 1985) was an American intelligence officer for the United States (DEA). In 2004, the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation was established in Camarenas memory. A spokesman for the CIA declined to comment. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), - 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. LOS ANGELES The gunmen were waiting forEnrique Camarena. Malone had credibility problems as a witness. 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. 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. Female wrestler, 16, makes history becoming the first girl Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' )Special Agent (ICNTF)Special Agent (DEA). Close US-Mexicanborder? It would be the last time Camarena was seen alive. Amazingly, Gallardo was only recently sentenced in the death (hed been sentenced before but a retrial was ordered; he never left prison after 1989, though). After graduation, Kiki Camarena served in the United States Marine Corps for three years, attaining the rank of Lance Corporal. Anyone who believes that possession of just a small quantity of illegal drugs is a crime without a victim will realize how much death and torture was involved in the process of bringing it to the marketplace. He spent four years in Mexico tracking the countrys drug dealers (the drugs of choice were marijuana and cocaine back then.). Thats the way that Camarena comes across in all three of these series. In late 2018, federal prosecutors decided not to retry the men. He was kidnapped Feb. 7, 1985. Due to the difficulty ofextraditingMexican citizens, the DEA went as far as to detain two suspects,Humberto lvarez Machan, the physician who allegedly prolonged Camarenas life so the torture could continue, and Javier Vsquez Velasco; both were taken bybounty huntersinto the United States. 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. The designers and the don: How two interior decorators took the fall for the Cali Cartel. November 16, only on Netflix. The gruesome details also involve a hole in his skull inflicted by a screwdriver. In March 1985, the DEA recovered the body of Kiki Camarena, 37, who left behind Mika and three children named Enrique, Daniel, and Erik. And sure enough, thats what happened. 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. After presentation of the governments case, the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support a guilty verdict, and charges were dropped. It was in 1975 that he first joined the DEA and in 1981, he was assigned the Guadalajara office. People familiar with the case said there are reasons to be skeptical that much will come of the new inquiry. Times Staff Writer. According to a report published Thursday in USA Today, 'US Justice Department agents and prosecutors have obtained statements from the witnesses implicating a Central Intelligence Agency operative and a DEA official in the plotto torture and murder Camarena'. 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 U.S. government pulled out all the stops to find out who did the kidnapping, torture, and killing of Kiki Camarena, putting unbelievable amount of pressure on the Mexican government to find the people responsible and extradite them to the United States. The case of Quintero, for U.S. agents, is personal. Camarena's death was thought to have been ordered by Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo, a drug lord known as The Godfather, who controlled trafficking along the US-Mexico border. Narcos: Mexico shows the growth of the Guadalajara Cartel, pieced together by Felix Gallardo out of warring factions. True story behind Netflix's Narcos: Mexico - mirror Kiki Camarena Death: The Real Story of the DEA Agent's Murder He worked on the case for four years, until 1985. Here's a quick comparison between the reel and the real pictures. Some of the prosecution efforts began to unravel in 1997 when the credibility of agovernmentwitness, and scientific testimony he introduced, came under scrutiny. }); document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Cartel boss who murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena captured in Mexico }); ga('ads.send', { Camarenas son, Enrique Jr., a county judge in San Diego, declined to comment through a spokesman because judicial ethics rules dont allow him to comment on open cases or investigations.. At 881 Lope de Vegaa residence owned by Ruben Zuno Arce, a dealer and associate of. The Netflix series Narcos: Mexico centers around a. "Actually conducting the interrogation. Prosecutors and agents confirmed to Camarenas widow, Mika, that witnessesprovided the accounts allegedly connecting the CIA operative and DEA official to the plot, she said in an interview. The book shows what goes on behind the scenes of the drug war in Mexico and the U.S. Enrique Camarena (July 26, 1947 - February 9, . At this point, nothing would surprise me. She had a privileged upbringing, and she attended the Autonomous University of Guadalajara . Kiki Camarena, The Cali Cartel, And The Drug War In Mexico 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. This story aired at 10 PM. In order to maintain control and enforce these anti-drugs laws, a new federal agency was born. Trump and US face logistical nightmare if he follows through with threats, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "Shortly after Kiki's death, Congressman Duncan Hunter and high school friend Henry Lozano launched Camarena Clubs in Kiki's hometown of Calexico, California. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), This story aired at 10 PM. "In (Camarena's) interrogation room, I was told by Mexican authorities that CIA operatives were in there," Phil Jordan, a former CIA agent, told Fox News in 2013. Operation Leyenda | Historica Wiki | Fandom Accused cartel boss Rafael Caro-Quintero has been wanted in connection with Camarenas death since he was indicted in 1987. Investigatorsare pursuing additional witnesses to see whether the allegations can be corroborated. The DEA Agent's remains were discovered a month later, and investigators later learned that he was brutally tortured for more than 30 hours. Born in 1947, Camarena moved from Mexico to the United States of America but continued to visit his grandmother in Guadalajara. And thats what Ive been doing up until yesterday. Jailed drug lord insists he didn't murder DEA agent MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of There is too many ghosts behind me. According to the three men, the CIA was collaborating with drug traffickers moving cocaine and marijuana to the United States, and using its share of the profits to financeNicaraguanContrarebels attempting to overthrow NicaraguasSandinistagovernment. Weighing whether to retry the men, federal authorities reinterviewedwitnesses. 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 February 1985 Camarena was kidnapped by drug traffickers hired by Mexican politicians in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Murder Of Kiki Camarena Part 1 - YouTube 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. Meanwhile, alleged henchmen Rene Verdugo and Juan Matta-Ballesteros were also jailed for their involvement, before a judge disputed forensic evidence and threw out their convictions in 2017. Michael Pena is pictured playing the DEA Agent at right. His skull, jaw, nose, and windpipes were crushed. Narcos Mexico Season 1 Finale Recap: Everything to Remember Click here to order :https://tinyurl.com/2p9b958v. Merely days before he was set to be transferred to San Diego, Kiki Camarena was kidnapped while on his way to lunch with his wife. CIA Ordered Execution of DEA's "Kiki" Camarena (Latin Press) 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). He was also a veteran, having joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968, according to a DEA biography of him. His assignment: Work undercover to expose and bring down the cartel responsible for smuggling drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border. 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.