The Amazon Prime series provides the real backstory of what happened to Camarena and why. He blamed Camarena for a raid on a marijuana plantation in 1984. The Murder Of DEA agent Kiki Camarena Part 1. Today, she lives in Chula Vista. Kuykendall is quoted in the book Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs, and the Press by Alexander Cockburn. Send him email. Warning: Because the real story so closely tracks the fictional one, this article will contain spoilers for Narcos: Mexico. Dont give up the war. 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. It was an afternoon, at the beginning of August, and he was coming from the prisons medical ward. But, Kiki told her no. Enrique is now a deputy district attorney. 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. You can read about him here. According to The San Diego Union Tribune, the couple met at Calexico High School in Calexico, California, and became high-school sweethearts. Though the three men were convicted for their participation in the kidnapping, torture and murder of Camarena Salazar, only Flix Gallardo remains incarcerated. LewRockwell.com and from
Mika met Kiki Camarena in high school, and that is where the two fell in love. 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. . They were high school sweethearts and continued their relationship after he began working as a firefighter and then joined the police in Calexico. Mika Camarena, whose given name is Geneva Camarena, was high school sweethearts with Kiki. It has been some time since the valiant agent passed away, and his body was discovered in 1985. "There is no hiding place for anyone who kidnaps, tortures, and murders American law enforcement. Camarena received many awards and is considered an American hero. Published Jul. I think of my grandchildren. Following Camarena's murder, 37-year-old Mika moved back to California with her three sons. One of those hundreds of agents was DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. These people and I have never chatted. It all started with one man. He spent 28 years in prison . In addition to this, she has been pretty vocal in the aftermath of the recent news, which has witness accounts to claim that a DEA agent and a CIA operative were involved in the murder of her husband. Flix Gallardo: I never met that person. Kiki's kids are all grown up. However, Enriques moment to shine truly came in 2014, when he was sworn in as the latest San Diego Superior Court judge. Flix Gallardo: I was in a house in Cosmos in Guadalajara when they knocked down the door, without any arrest warrant, without any search warrant. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Kiki found out about the connection between the CIA and contra fighters same way how Gary Webb publicized it, and somehow was found with 2 gunshots to his head as a . The foundation is a non-profit that is aimed to help youth who suffer from any kind of drug abuse. Today, the eight-day celebration is an annual catalyst to show intolerance for drugs in our schools, workplaces, and communities. She graduated from Imperial Valley College. After the death of Kiki Camarena, his wife Mika Camarena became involved in a number of social and charitable initiatives in order to preserve and promote the sacrifices made by him. In later years, DEA agent James Kuykendall, who was Camarenas supervisor in Guadalajara, has spoken out about the CIA and the Kiki Camarena murder. As Kiki walked to his truck, he was approached by five men who shoved him into a beige Volkswagen. Kiki was surrounded by five armed men who threw him into a car and sped away. He was a Marine. 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. The murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena in 1985 is being further investigated. This doesnt seem to have stopped her as she went ahead to form the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation in 2004. The only ones who will lose will be us. Recently, the popular Netflix series"Narcos: Mexico" chronicled his life as the co-founder of the Guadalajara cartel, as the first drug trafficker to create a bridge between South America and the United Statesfor the export of cocaine negotiating with Colombian drug traffickers such as Pablo Escobar. Don Neto, also known by his full name of Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, was a key figure in the growth of the . With President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador's amnesty for inmates over 75 years of age, do you hope to benefit from that measure? During an interview in 2010, 25 years after his death, she was asked about which day she observes as the death anniversary of her husband, considering that he went missing on February 7th and his body was recovered on March 5th, she mentioned that while she remembers him each and every day, February 7th, 1985 was the last day she saw her. Life-sized, bronze busts of Camarena have been placed in learning and government facilities nationwide as a lasting tribute and reminder of the ongoing battle. 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. Camarena earned a BA from the prestigious Dartmouth College before securing his JD from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law. Mika Camarena was born in Fresno in the year 1948. Violence is a consequence of unemployment, of social inequality, which Mr. Lpez Obrador is solving little by little. I'm not hoping. I received a plastic bag over my head to suffocate me. Narcos: Mexico shows the growth of the Guadalajara Cartel, pieced together by Felix Gallardo out of warring factions. I have been in meetings with the foreign minister and with the security Cabinet, along with all our agencies that have included the new head of the DEA sitting at my right hand, Salazar said. From a national health authority. 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. He said, "Even if I'm only one person, I can make a difference." She continues her mission to combat the societal effects of drugs in her late husband's honor. Now . She graduated from Imperial Valley . Today, her six living children, all daughters, enjoy professional careers in the public sector and are employed with various federal and state agencies throughout the state and region. Watch on. Are you asking me why I am granting you the interview? Now, schools in Chula Vista and Calexico Camarenas hometown bear his name. Unfortunately, he was brutally murdered on the job in Mexico in 1985 by the Guadalajara Cartel, per theDEA. In 2019, the Mexican government increased the number of people who have disappearedduring the war on drug trafficking to60,053. Son, Brother, Husband, Father, US Marine, DEA Agent. They messed up my eyesight. As he lay dying, a cartel doctor was ordered to keep him alert by administering drugs.. Berrellez was heroic and ended up solving the case. The foundations major goal is to make the country free of illegal drugs. The impact Kikis death has had on the drug war, and by extension, the entire world is undeniable. He mentioned that he did not just learn from them in their capacity as lawyers, but learned from them as people. The Amazon Prime series provides the real backstory of what . Red Ribbon Week started in 1985 in Kikis hometown of Calexico, California, and soon gained momentum across California and then the rest of the country. Camarena dedicated his life to helping others before he was brutally tortured and killed in . He was born on July 26, 1947, in the small town of Mexicali in Baja California. Mika has become a major advocate for drug awareness across the U.S., keeping her late husbands memory alive. Flix Gallardo: That I wish her comfort. A retired skin care consultant, Mika now focuses even more of her time on running the foundation. The Enrique S. Camarena Foundation received the full support of her husband's colleagues and her oldest son, Enrique Jr. October 26, 2021. He told me very little because he didnt want me to worry. Youve learned a lot from people in this job. Lock In popular culture, he's known as the "The Boss of Bosses," and though it hasn't been confirmed, most people associate the popular song from the group Los Tigres del Norte with the drug lord. Enrique "Kiki" S. Camarena was a United States, DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Special Agent who was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in Mexico in 1985. . Holes had been drilled in his head, his skull had . DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, seen here with his wife Mika, was kidnapped and killed by orders of the Guadalajara Cartel. Known to his friends as "Kiki," Special Agent Camarena had been in Mexico for more than four years on the trail of Mexican marijuana and cocaine drug traffickers. If Enrique could share a message today, Mika says it would be one of hope and persistence. Following his oath of office, administered by presiding Superior Court Judge David Danielsen, Camarena Jr. prompted smiles and laughter in a low-keyed acceptance speech in which he explained the strategy behind building his prosecutorial career. A high school friend and congressman in California created what were called Camarena Clubs, and people across the country wore red ribbons to indicate they were rejecting drugs, an effort that drew the support of First Lady Nancy Reagan. Would you say something to Agent Camarenas widow? 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 . During his time in Mexico, Camarena came dangerously close to exposing top leaders of a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline in the country. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( 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. Kidnapped February 7, 1985 and tortured and subsequently Murdered within 2 Vigil said he was surprized by Caro Quintero's arrest, considering Lpez Obrador's stated disinterest in going after drug cartel leaders, but he added that the DEA would never stop looking for someone who killed an agent. The DEA also kept her informed about the developments regarding punishing the people responsible for Kiki's death. Mike Vigil, the DEAs former chief of international operations, said Caro Quintero was believed to have been operating independently most recently, though there had been rumors he was back with the Sinaloa cartel. 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. Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 - February 9, 1985) was an American intelligence officer for the United States (DEA). The Camarena Foundation also supports Red Ribbon week for drug awareness each year. JFKs Remarkable Peace Speech that Sealed His Fate, Why They Hated Kennedy, and Why They Killed Him, The Pentagons Balloon Madness Recalls Major Rudolf Anderson, The Secret Services Obstruction of Justice in the JFK Case, The Torture and Execution of Kiki Camarena. He was added to the FBIs top 10 most wanted list in 2018. Bruce Willis's mom Marlene 'not sure if her son still recognizes her' as 'aggressiveness' creeps in Internet finds . My family is digging a grave so that I may be buried next to a tree. The Camarena murder never made any sense to me. Today, her six living children, all daughters, enjoy professional careers in the public sector and are employed with various federal and state agencies throughout the state and region. And revealing as well! Mika Camarena meets with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. Meet Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. . Kiki's children Enrique, Daniel, and Eric mourned the loss of their father. So if we werent welcome here in Mexico that wouldnt happen.. The couple was planning their return to the states at the time of his death; specifically, San Diego. Shortly before Caro Quintero's arrest Friday, U.S. FollowNBC LatinoonFacebook,TwitterandInstagram. Scoprite #TheLastNarc, la storia di un eroe caduto e di un uomo che ha rischiato tutto per rivelare la spaventosa verit, indagando fra propaganda e corruzione. Camarena was survived by his widow, Geneva (also known as Mika), and their three children. Many people in Calexico had began wearing red ribbons after Kiki was murdered, a gesture that later turned into the Red Ribbon campaign and is now celebrated for a week during October 23-31 each year. It shows that she is in a relationship with Ricardo, who, according to one of her comments, works at a Ford Agency. He continues the legacy of justice within the family. In April 2016 I had the first contact with one of his lawyers in Mexico City. In 1981, the entire Camarena family left Fresno, California for Guadalajara, Mexico where Camarena was assigned. The case is thus, believed to be undergoing another investigation, that may bring more shocking results. Tuesday, October 26, 2021. I wanted to find out what made the guy tick, and I did a lot of research and thank God I spoke with Mika (Camarenas wife), he told Newsweek. 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