. On March 9, his body was flown from Mexico to the U.S. for his funeral (pictured above). Throughout season one, we don't know who, exactly, is relating the story of doomed DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Why kidnap and torture him also? pg.acq.push(function() { Camarena's case recently received renewed interest after it became the center of the new Netflix series Narcos: Mexico. 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. 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. "Shortly after Kiki's death, Congressman Duncan Hunter and high school friend Henry Lozano launched Camarena Clubs in Kiki's hometown of Calexico, California. Do not sell or share my personal information. gads_event = event; 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. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); There is too many ghosts behind me. FBI scientists made such claims for years in front of judges and juries. They then forcibly brought him to the United States to stand trial in federal district court. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. . The murder of a Mexican journalist. Whether anything comes of the investigation remains uncertain,but the allegations were too alarming to ignore, officials said. Warning: Because the real story so closely tracks the fictional one, this article will contain spoilers for Narcos: Mexico. In 1985, American DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by Mexico's most notorious drug lords. TheHistory ChanneldocumentaryHeroes Under Fire: Righteous Vendetta(2005) chronicles the events and features interviews with family members, DEA agents, and others involved in the investigation. hitType: 'event', 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. Teams of federal agents descended on Guadalajara, and more worked the case from the USA. (You can see photos of the real people behind the Narcos: Mexico characters here.) document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ A man walked down the street just outside the DEA office in Guadalajara, Mexico, to have lunch with his wife. Lopez said prosecutors showed him old photographs of former U.S. officials. He was about to expose the operation when he was kidnapped on February 7 while he went to have lunch with his wife, Mika. Caro-Quintero was convicted by a Mexican court but freed on appeal and is on the FBIs most-wanted list. Several books have been written on the subject. The names of any particular CIA or DEA Agents who allegedly conspired in Camarena's death have not been disclosed. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. According to The Los Angeles Times, Camarenas murder led to the fall of Gallardo and his close associates and the fracturing of their cartel. The 1985 murder of Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in Mexico is one of the most notorious incidents in U.S. law enforcement history, and Juan Jos Bernab played a central role, according to U . He was arrested last year in Mexico for violating his supervised release in the drug case and was turned over to U.S. authorities, who keephim at aprison outside Los Angeles. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Here's a quick comparison between the reel and the real pictures. Season 1. He keeps a crumpled copy of his immunity agreement in his jacket pocket. 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. He also worked as a Special Agent on the original Imperial County Narcotic Task Force (ICNTF). At 881 Lope de Vegaa residence owned by Ruben Zuno Arce, a dealer and associate of. Camarena was married to Mika and they had three sons.[. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The altered state of the various crime scenes from which evidence was recovered, however, initially complicated the integrity of the investigation. After his military service he became a police officer in his hometown. He was a police officer, and then he became part of the DEA. We also speak in favor of the Red Ribbon campaign and drug awareness. 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. The Justice Department began reexamining the case last year after admitting that forensic evidence used to convict two men in Camarenas death was badly flawed. The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. Trump and US face logistical nightmare if he follows through with threats, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "I would look at the case of Kiki Camarena. 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. We need to make justice.. 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. A federal court rejected the request, saying there was no evidence tying the government to the smuggling ring. Three of the witnesses former Mexican police officers Ramon Lira, Rene Lopez and George Godoy, who had worked as security guards for cartel kingpins spoke with USA TODAY and recounted that they told investigators a DEA official and a CIA operative were present at meetings where Camarenas abduction was discussed. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Narcos: Mexico shows the growth of the Guadalajara Cartel, pieced together by Felix Gallardo out of warring factions. (606) 8.5 2020 X-Ray HDR UHD TV-MA. After serving in the Marine Corps for two years, Kiki was a Calexico fireman, Calexico police officer, and an Imperial County Deputy Sheriff. 'Narcos: Mexico': How similar is the real-life torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena to the story. Camarena received many awards and is considered an American hero. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { How true are the events that unfolded over ten episodes in the first season? Mexican authorities provided audio recordings of parts of the interrogation to the CIA. 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 . He makes a swashbuckling entry and reclaims his cartel! He decided not to become a police officer because his dad thought it was too dangerous, according to NBC San Diego, which quoted him as saying, I grab a little bit from one supervisor, I grab a little bit from another, and added on to me to become who I am today., Judge Enrique Camarena Jr. is speaking to @MSASanDiego 6th Graders. 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 the late stages of Narcos: Mexico, ambitious DEA agent Kiki Camerana was finally murdered after being tortured for several days. And if the cop or the judge happen to be U.S. federal agents or a federal judge, youre going to have the full force of the U.S. government being brought to bear on you. let gads_event; eventAction: 'load' The show, in both seasons 1 and 2, traces the growth of the drug trade, moving the series setting from Colombia to Guadalajara, Mexico. 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}} the DEA and the National Family Partnership observe Red Ribbon Week to honor Kiki Camarena . 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. }); 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. The Times noted that the bodies appeared to have been tortured and were found near a ranch in Michoacan state. He is surrounded, gagged, and shoved into a beige Volkswagen. The interrogation was directed at finding out what information Camarena had about the cartel. lvarez subsequently initiated acivil suitagainst the U.S. government, charging that his arrest had breached the U.S.Mexico extradition treaty. It was the 7th of February, 1985. Camarena's disappearance made worldwide headlines in February 1985, and sparked fury from the Reagan Administration, who effectively shut down the southern border in a bid to pressure the Mexican government to catch the culprits. } The four-part series, released in July, tells the true story of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a special agent with the DEA, who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1985.. Camarena was brutally tortured for more than 30 hours before he was killed. Enrique (Kiki) S. Camarena was born on July 26, 1947, in Mexicali, Mexico. [, Mexican police had destroyed evidence on Camarenas body. 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. 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. There he struggles against local police . 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. DEA window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { He said he was asked not to discuss the case, but were in a free country.. And thats what Ive been doing up until yesterday. The Murder Of Kiki Camarena Part 1 MOBFAX 72.6K subscribers Subscribe 445 Share 32K views 1 year ago #Mexico #KikiCamarena #DrugCartel The Murder Of DEA agent Kiki Camarena Part 1. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. He attended high school in Calexico (a portmanteau of California and Mexico) where he met high school sweetheart and future wife, Geneva 'Mika' Camarena. Gallardo, known as 'The Godfather', remains behind bars for his role in the murder. Camarena was blindfolded before being led inside the grounds of that home, Lopez added, and once inside was greeted by Rafael Caro Quintero, one of Mexico's most notorious drug traffickers.. However, he would make a fatal mistake, and season 2 deals with the aftermath of it: The murder of Camarena, and how the DEA responded to it. 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. I had to tell them that he had been. So, why would drug dealers go after and kill Camarena, a fairly low-level drug agent? Three ribs on the left side were broken. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. They dropped the murder case against Matta, although he remains in prison on a drug trafficking charge, and agreed to let Verdugo plead guilty to a reduced charge and be deported to Mexico. Berrellez, the former DEA agent who ran the task force investigating his murder, has said for years that the CIA was involved. Send him email. This video is for entertainment purposes only. The nationwide annualRed Ribbon Week, which teaches school children and youths to avoid drug use, was established in his memory. Mika Camarena, whose given name is Geneva Camarena, was high school sweethearts with Kiki. Fonseca, who was convicted in the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. . Statistical breakdown of deaths in the Troubles of Northern Ireland 1969 2001, Irish National Liberation Army ( I.N.L.A), Irish Republican Army. Camarena was tortured at Gallardos ranch over a 30-hour period, then murdered. One telling scene seamlessly transitions . 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). The tape helped authorities identify Camarena's voice pleading with the culprits in his murder. Born in 1947, Camarena moved from Mexico to the United States of America but continued to visit his grandmother in Guadalajara. 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. Who wants A signed copy of my No.1 best selling book ? Actor Diego Luna: "We are still living the consequences" of real-life story told in drug war series "Narcos: Mexico." ga('ads.send', { A federal court tossed their convictions in 2017. Each year we issue six scholarships to high school seniors throughout the nation. Before Camarenas death, DEA units in Mexico destroyedmillions of dollars worth of marijuana grown on farms for the Guadalajara Cartel, named for the city in Jalisco, a state in western Mexico. 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. agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena walked out of his office in Guadalajara, Mexico, and headed for a lunch date with his wife. The doctors thought that a foreign object, possibly a . An internal Justice Department investigation in 1997 found he had testified falsely before Congress. He was also a veteran, having joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968, according to a DEA biography of him. 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. When the War on Drugs set off in 1971, the U.S. government was leading the charge in trying to prohibit the sale, use, and transfer of illegal narcotics in the states.