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 right arm was broken and showed numerous lesions. } Camarena opens the show in a scene that shows hes been abducted. He discovered why there were people who deemed it necessary to kidnap and torture Camarena rather than simply kill him. President Richard Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1973 in his crusade against drug trafficking and other drug-related offenses. Who was the real Kiki Camarena? Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was kidnapped and murdered in 1985, leading to a major escalation in the war on drugs. Kuykendall is quoted in the book Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs, and the Press by Alexander Cockburn. The Red Ribbon Campaign was created to honor Camarena and to raise awareness about the dangers and effects of using drugs. pg.acq.push(function() { ga('ads.send', { People familiar with the case said there are reasons to be skeptical that much will come of the new inquiry. All three series tell the story of Kiki Camarena, a 37-year-old DEA agent assigned to work in Mexico during the 1980s. It all started with one man. Berrellez was heroic and ended up solving the case. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. 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. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. It was not the first time someone claimed U.S. intelligence was entangled with the cartel responsible for Camarenas death. It helped bring his killers to justice, and exposed Mexican police corruption. After serving in the Marine Corps for two years, Kiki was a Calexico fireman, Calexico police officer, and an Imperial County Deputy Sheriff. Two former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and a former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency contract pilot are claiming that the Reagan Administration was complicit in the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena at the hands of Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. 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.. The memorial is located in the halls of the department, where Camarena served. B-roll. After graduation, Kiki Camarena served in the United States Marine Corps for three years, attaining the rank of Lance Corporal. In 2004, the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation was established in Camarenas memory. In the ongoing cat-and-mouse. He also worked as a Special Agent on the original Imperial County Narcotic Task Force (ICNTF). Some of the prosecution efforts began to unravel in 1997 when the credibility of agovernmentwitness, and scientific testimony he introduced, came under scrutiny. Death squads being trained at Caro Quintero's ranch in Mexico. More than three decades after the incident, U.S. authorities are investigating potentially explosive new evidence in the case: allegations that Camarena was betrayed. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and then executed. 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). Under pressure from the U.S. government, Mexican PresidentMiguel de la Madridquickly apprehended Fonseca and Caro but Flix Gallardo still enjoyed political protection. 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. Consisting of four one-hour segments, it will be the most fascinating drug-war documentary you will ever watch. Full Context. 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. The death of an American federal agent on the . You can watch the whole. 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. You can read about him here. Trial opens . Kiki received two Sustained Superior Performance Awards, a Special Achievement Award and, posthumously, the Administrators Award of Honor, the highest award granted by DEA, the DEA says. hitType: 'event', We sell bronze life-size busts of Kiki that are unveiled in schools and libraries throughout the country, not just in San Diego. It was not the first time someone had claimed that U.S. intelligence was entangled with the cartel responsible for Camarenas death. Enrique S "Kiki" Camarena Salazar was a real American undercover agent for the DEA, up until he died aged just 37 in February 1985. Camarena is pictured left. In 1977, Camarena moved to the agencysFresnooffice, and in 1981, he was assigned to theirGuadalajaraoffice in Mexico. According to El Pais, Camarenas skull, jaw, nose and cheekbones were crushed with a tire iron. "I would look at the case of Kiki Camarena. And sure enough, thats what happened. TheHistory ChanneldocumentaryHeroes Under Fire: Righteous Vendetta(2005) chronicles the events and features interviews with family members, DEA agents, and others involved in the investigation. . Malone could not be reached forcomment. He was a police officer, and then he became part of the DEA. It would be the last time Camarena was seen alive. 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. On March 5, his body was found in a field in a town more than 50 miles from where he was taken, reported The New York Times. 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). In real life, Camarenas wife was indeed named Mika, and she is the mother of his three children. Geneva "Mika" Camarena was looking forward to lunch at a upmarket restaurant with her husband Enrique or "Kiki". Lawyers for both said they were not permitted to discuss the details. Trump and US face logistical nightmare if he follows through with threats. The case eventually reached theU.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that lvarez was not entitled to relief. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race. The Reagan administration would immediately expand the war on drugs, and the U.S. would later see a major increase in arrests and incarceration for drug use as he pushed for wide-scale crackdowns, per Britannica. That was the last time anyone but his kidnappers would see him alive, reveals the DEA, adding that he likely died two days later. We need to make justice.. LewRockwell.com and from There is too many ghosts behind me, Godoy said. In theNetflixdramaNarcos, Camarenas death and its aftermath are recapped in news footage in the first season episode The Men of Always. November 16, only on Netflix. Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, 37, was abducted, tortured and killed in 1985 while . }); 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. Narcos Kiki Camarena Scene Mark Marquez 125 subscribers Subscribe 3.9K Share 487K views 7 years ago I do not own this video. A spokeswoman for the DEA, Mary Brandenberger, said she could not comment on ongoing investigations. The case of Quintero, for U.S. agents, is personal. I want the truth to be out. 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 . The Netflix series Narcos: Mexico centers around a Mexican drug cartels murder and torture of Kiki Camarena, a federal narcotics agent for the United States. In the aftermath of Camarena's death the DEA then launched their biggest homicide manhunt,Operation Leyenda ("Legend")(per DEA Museum and Visitors Center). In its spin-off, 'Narcos: Mexico' goes on to show the Guadalajara cartel's ascent as Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo (Diego Luna), Rafael Caro Quintero (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), and Don Neto, aka Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo (Joaqun Cosio), join hands. 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. Some told startling stories, alleging that U.S. officials had secretly been involved with a cartel that was delivering huge quantities of marijuana and cocaine to the USA, according to people familiar with the case who were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. According to Heath's report on the autopsy, cadaver number one, as the Red Cross doctors labeled it, was that of a muscular Hispanic male in his thirties, with black hair and dark brown eyes. Golden Brown The Stranglers: Iconic Songs & the story behindthem. 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. Ann Ogilbys brutal murder: Forgotten victims of theTroubles, Kriss Donald The Brutal Racist Killing of an InnocentSchoolboy, Senior Police Officer II (Calexico Police Dept. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} 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. "Shortly after Kiki's death, Congressman Duncan Hunter and high school friend Henry Lozano launched Camarena Clubs in Kiki's hometown of Calexico, California. Set in the 1980s, the plot revolves around how an undercover agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Enrique S "Kiki" Camarena Salazar . 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. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Caro-Quintero was convicted by a Mexican court but freed on appeal and is on the FBIs most-wanted list. 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FBI scientists made such claims for years in front of judges and juries. Camarena had been working at the agency since 1974, mostly in California, before his transfer south of the border (via DEA). A manhunt would follow, but it would take a month before they discovered what happened to Camarena. Watch The Last Narc to see why. 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. The U.S. government effectively closed the border with Mexico to pressure its reluctant Mexican counterparts. However,Verdugo and Matta-Ballesteros will not be re-tried, and the CIA declined to comment to USA Today. NARCOS: MEXICO Official Trailer "Agent Kiki Camarena" (HD) Michael Pena Series, SUBSCRIBE for more TV Trailers HERE: goo.gl/TL21HZ He gave his life for his work. Thirty-five years later, three former cartel insiders share unprecedented details. 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. Carlos Somonte/Netflix. But the nature of Camarena's torture wouldn't be known until the following year. hitType: 'event', Belfast Books Thanks for promoting my bookmate. Lenny Jacobson 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. 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. Play it now! Powered by. Narcos: Mexico shows the growth of the Guadalajara Cartel, pieced together by Felix Gallardo out of warring factions. 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." In March 1985, the DEA recovered the body of Kiki Camarena, 37, who left behind Mika and three children named Enrique, Daniel, and Erik. Sara Coso was a Mexican socialite who was the lover of Guadalajara Cartel lieutenant Rafael Caro Quintero during the 1980s. }); 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. Accused cartel boss Rafael Caro-Quintero has been wanted in connection with Camarenas death since he was indicted in 1987. They then forcibly brought him to the United States to stand trial in federal district court. A federal court tossed their convictions in 2017. The nationwide annualRed Ribbon Week, which teaches school children and youths to avoid drug use, was established in his memory. Zavala was helping Camarena in his undercover operations, The LA Times reported. Investigatorsare pursuing additional witnesses to see whether the allegations can be corroborated. Teams of federal agents descended on Guadalajara, and more worked the case from the USA. 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. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Killing Rage The life and death of EamonCollins. Why not this?, Contributing: Arlene Martinez, The Ventura County (Calif.) Star, and Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY, The murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena in 1985 is being further investigated. 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. DEA 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. He keeps a crumpled copy of his immunity agreement in his jacket pocket. June 7, 1988 12 AM PT. In 1984-85, Camarena was working on a major case against "Rancho Bufalo," a marijuana plantation. Quintero spent the last 28 years locked up for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of American DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Indirectly, they (the CIA) have got to take some of the blame. He alleged the CIA protected the DFS for decades, and stated, The DFS just got out of hand., Kiki Camarena Death: The Real Story of the DEA Agents Murder, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved.