He discovered why there were people who deemed it necessary to kidnap and torture Camarena rather than simply kill him. The site was in the mountains near Sinaloa's border with the northern border state of Chihuahua. Netflix introduces actor Michael Pea as Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in season one of Narcos: Mexico. Not much is known about Erik or Daniel. The non-profit enlists the help of retired DEA agents and Mikas oldest son, Enrique. They messed up my eyesight. Survivors benefits were raised after Kikis death, so my childrens education was paid for.. His work that is believed to have cost one of the Mexican drug cartels, their land, eventually led to his abduction, torture, and death at the hands of these gangs. During his time in Mexico, Camarena came dangerously close to exposing top leaders of a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline in the country. Dora Camarena Soto was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, and had moved with her family to Mexicali when she was just 7 days old. Geneva Camarena returned to California after her husband's death and relocated to San Diego. Enrique is now a deputy district attorney. Mika Camarena continues to honor her former husbands legacy through the foundations work. Like in the show, Gallardo was arrested by Guillermo Gonzalez Calderoni (played by Julio Cesar Cedillo).. The organization offers life-size bronze busts of Kiki to be unveiled at schools and libraries in San Diego and across the country. They were high school sweethearts and continued their relationship after he began working as a firefighter and then joined the police in Calexico. Flix Gallardo: I lost more than half of my family while I've been in jail: a daughter, my parents, my mother died without her furniture being returned to her, her furniture! Kiki gave his life in the fight against drugs, and the public wanted to do something to remember the ultimate sacrifice that he paid. We sell bronze life-size busts of Kiki that are unveiled in schools and libraries throughout the country, not just in San Diego. Unfortunately, he was brutally murdered on the job in Mexico in 1985 by the Guadalajara Cartel, per theDEA. During her talks, she often mentions that Red Ribbon Week should be celebrated all year round to increase awareness about drugs. Those last two conditions made the interview a bit difficult, so we had to write the questions on a poster board for him to read. There had been tensions between the Mexican government and the DEA after Mexico enacted a law limiting the U.S. agency's operations. I never met that man. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. He was a trial attorney for twelve years in Texas. Its based on the notoriously tragic kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, those involved, and the family he left behind. Camarena dedicated his life to helping others before he was brutally tortured and killed in . November 16, only on Netflix. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. However, she recently received unprecedented media attention after Netflix produced the crime-drama series 'Narcos: Mexico' in 2018, which depicted the tragic story of her husband. Camarena was also the father of three sons. But he told NBC 7 after the ceremony that now his job is to think more like a judge than a prosecutor. Calderoni warned Hector to back off the Camarena case, telling him in Spanish, "My son, the CIA killed Camarena. Caro Quintero, who's believed to be between 59 and 69, served 28 years of a 40-year sentence in Mexico for the grisly killing of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena before being fre Flix Gallardo was first arrested in April 1989 and has spent 32 years in prison in Mexico for the 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar. She was educated at Calexico High School and later attended Imperial Valley College. In 1981, the entire Camarena family left Fresno, California for Guadalajara, Mexico where Camarena was assigned. Her husband, Kiki Camarena became a DEA agent after he served as a police officer for several years. The only ones who will lose will be us. This thing, with the bacteria [Covid-19] has severely affected Mexicans' purchasing power, but this man is of goodwill and I hope God will help him. Camarena was also the father of three sons. . However, one rarely stops to wonder about the personal cost of the agents death to his family. The four-part cartel docuseries The Last Narc is set to premiere on Prime on May 15. Flix Gallardo: No. I am going on 76 years. Noticias Telemundo: How has your life been in prison? Rafael Caro Quintero walked free while serving a 40-year sentence for the torture-murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985 and has since apparently . Don Neto, also known by his full name of Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, was a key figure in the growth of the . Amazon Primes The Last Narc traces the events after Kikis death as a dogged DEA agent uncovers the shocking truth and the murky conspiracy that links the blood-soaked drug wars in Mexico to the corridors of power in Washington. Through the enforcement of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), trained agents traveled to the many narcotics hubs, mostly in Central and South America, to enforce anti-drug and trafficking laws. After about a decade, on February 7th, 1985, Kiki, who was working as an undercover agent for the DEA, infiltrating drug trafficking gangs, was kidnapped and later brutally murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. Flix Gallardo was first arrested in April 1989 and has spent 32 years in prison in Mexico for the 1985 murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar. He was the kind of guy who just wanted to keep the streets safe. Camarena held other positions in law enforcement before joining the DEA. Jacob G. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. A navy Blackhawk helicopter carrying 15 people crashed near the coastal city of Los Mochis during the operation, killing 14 of those aboard, the navy statement said. . The non-profit enlists the help of retired DEA agents and Mika's oldest son, Enrique. Enrique "Kiki" Camarena was kidnapped and murdered in 1985, leading to a major escalation in the war on drugs. Cartels have never existed in Guadalajara. What relationship did you have with Caro Quintero and Fonseca Carrillo? His wife, Geneva 'Mika' Camarena, lost her husband at the age of 36, when the two were in their prime, raising their family of three children. (You can see photos of the real people behind the Narcos: Mexico characters here.) Caro Quintero had walked free in 2013 after 28 years in prison when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. 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 . Camarena was survived by his widow, Geneva (also known as Mika), and their three children. Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo, in an exclusive interview with Noticias Telemundo, denied any involvement in Enrique "Kiki" Camarena's murder, even sending his widow a message. After her husband's death, she worked to honor his legacy, starting Red Ribbon Week in his name, and now serves as the president of the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation. This is the story of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Biography [] Early life []. She started the Enrique S. Camarena Educational Foundation in 2004 exactly for the purpose. Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 - February 9, 1985) was an American intelligence officer for the United States (DEA). Eventually the cartel's kingpin, Rafael Caro Quintero, and more than two dozen others were convicted in U.S. and Mexican courts -- Caro Quintero's release last year sparking outrage and a new arrest warrant. Enrique Camarena Jr. was just 11 when his father was killed by cartel members. What she was able to tell me was that he was a guy that just wanted to do good. It organizes various activities and events as a part of it. People who know me know I'm not a fan of #twitter for so many reasons. But on February 7, 1985, at 2:00 pm, he was kidnapped by five men as he left the American Consulate in . It shows that she is in a relationship with Ricardo, who, according to one of her comments, works at a Ford Agency. They seem to maintain low profiles and dont have an over social media presence. In 2020 alone, a total of 34,515 homicides were registered. Since her husband's death, she has become an activist and advocates drug awareness among the youth. Geneva 'Mika' Camarena was born in 1948 near Fresno, California, and was raised in Calexico, a city in Imperial County, California. What did you do before you were arrested? He was also a veteran, having joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968, according to a DEA biography of him. Mika Camarena was born in Fresno in the year 1948. ", But, Duarte said, Caro Quintero is only part (of the conflict), the conflict doesn't end.. She worked briefly in the medical insurance field and in a courthouse, before pursuing a career that would last more than 13 years, says The San Diego Union-Tribune. Our youth will lose.. That he is fighting social inequality. A very short video segment released by the navy showed Caro Quintero his face blurred dressed in jeans, a soaking wet blue shirt and baggy khaki jacket held by both arms by men wearing camfoulage uniforms and carrying assault rifles. It was a very big question, because it took me five years to meet him. The DFS agents then took Camarena, blindfolded and held at gunpoint, to one of Caro-Quintero's haciendas five miles away. October 26, 2021. Camarena poses with Mexican law enforcement. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The inclusion of a link on this website does not constitute an official endorsement, guarantee, or approval by DEA. She graduated from Imperial Valley College. Why were you linked to this murder? He mentioned that he did not just learn from them in their capacity as lawyers, but learned from them as people. Powered by. Kiki was due to be reassigned in three weeks because he had come dangerously close to exposing the top leaders of a multi-billion drug pipeline. Let me reiterate: I'm not into weapons. The DEA Museum presents: "Remembering Kiki: Through the Eyes of his Family, Friends, & Colleagues". Soon after high school, Camarena joined the Marines. I'm really sorry because I know he was a good man. His tortured body was found a month later. After serving in the Marines, he worked as a fireman for the City of Calexico and attended Imperial Valley College, where he earned an associates degree. In March 1985, the DEA recovered the body of Kiki Camarena, 37, who left behind Mika and three children named Enrique, Daniel, and Erik. Suspect wanted for the killing of DEA Agent "Kiki" Camarena was arrested in Mexicali. I am not thinking of freedom. Flix Gallardo was 28 when he was first sentenced by a judge in Jalisco. Their three children were only aged 11, 6 and 4 at the time. It all started with one man. For Kikis son, Thursday was a brighter milestone he said his dad would have treasured. The CIA has denied the allegations. But after Berrellez figured out what was really going on, he was taken off the case. On the day of his abduction, Camarena was supposed to meet up with his wife, but she would never see him again. Camarena, who was behind a series of hefty drug seizures linked to Caro-Quintero in the 1980s, including a whopping $2.5 billion bust, had been actively wiretapping the cartel, USA Today reported. They are old men living humble, ordinary lives in . U.S. military personnel carry the coffin containing the body of DEA agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena following his 1985 murder Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo was one of the Guadalajara Cartel's three founders Though she keeps a private Instagram account, her Facebook page has various updates of events from her life. Later Thursday, another former prosecutor recently appointed to the local judiciary by Gov. Flix Gallardo: No. According to The Los Angeles Times, Camarenas murder led to the fall of Gallardo and his close associates and the fracturing of their cartel. #taliban #afghanistan #terrorism But the arrest came just days after Lpez Obrador met with U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House. The first National Red Ribbon Week was created by the National Family Partnership in 1988, and NFP continues to coordinate the campaign for families, schools and communities across the nation each year. Warning: Because the real story so closely tracks the fictional one, this article will contain spoilers for Narcos: Mexico. There were two pending arrest orders for him as well as an extradition request from the U.S. government. The capture and murder of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, an undercover US Drugs Enforcement Agency in Mexico in 1985, was a turning point in the war on drugs, writes the BBC's Will Grant. In reality, Kiki Camarena died in 1985, having been abducted by unidentified men in February 1985 while he was on his way to his wife Mika for lunch. Todays arrest is the culmination of tireless work by DEA and their Mexican partners to bring Caro-Quintero to justice for his alleged crimes, including the torture and execution of DEA Special Agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. Mika was, thus, abruptly left a widow, shouldering the responsibilities of her three children. A locked padlock There was my daughter, my son. She went on to raise her three boys alone. Camarena served in the Marines for two years, was a firefighter and police officer and deputy sheriff in California, and then joined the DEA in 1974. After his death, she focused on raising her three kids and worked hard as a skin-care consultant. Why kidnap and torture him also? Kiki Camarena's son, Enrique Camarena is now a judge in California after serving as a deputy district attorney for years. 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. He was on his way to meet his wife, Geneva "Mika" Camarena who was his high school sweetheart for lunch. What would you like to do if you were to regain your freedom one day? Kiki joined the Calexico Police Department in 1970, and then later was assigned to El Centro, California, where he worked as a Narcotics Investigator for Imperial County. Soon after, they got hitched and had three sons Enrique Jr., Daniel, and Erik. Registered as a Republican, Camarenas job and family history has naturally solidified his anti-drugs stance. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Kuykendall is quoted in the book Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs, and the Press by Alexander Cockburn. He spoke about it, saying, Its morphed into something else; I have to oversee everything now. The 85-year-old also asserted that the report is a "rehash . Mika Camarena and her future husband, Kiki Camarena, both grew up in the city of Calexico, California. Similarly, some songs would remind her of her late sons Kiki Camarena and firstborn Eduardo "Lalo" Camarena, who enlisted in the U.S. Army and was . Was survived by his widow, shouldering the responsibilities of her three kids and worked hard as a,... People who deemed it necessary to kidnap and torture Camarena rather than kill. 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