She graduated from Imperial Valley College. Dont give it up because theyll win. In various judicial and academic investigations, Flix Gallardo was closely linked to the beginning of the large drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. NBC 7's Rory Devine has more. The murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena in 1985 is being further investigated. B-roll footage. 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. 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. Listen to article. His death stunned the nation and forever changed the war. Youve learned a lot from people in this job. The foundation was formed in . Enrique is now a deputy district attorney. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. I think the knowledge of the danger was always there. 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. The case has been a point of contention . Garland on the capture of Rafael Caro-Quintero, among the FBI's Ten Most Wanted for his role in the alleged kidnapping & murder of DEA special agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in 1985: "There . In a candid interview with the San Diego Tribune, Mika was asked if she ever imagined this happening and knew of the dangers involved in Camarenas day-to-day work life. In 2004, she founded the Enrique Camarena Foundation, where she is the current president. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. They seem to maintain low profiles and dont have an over social media presence. Its now showing on Amazon Prime. In fact, better yet, first watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Narcos: Mexico on Netflix. The Last Narc, which focuses on the 1985 murder of U.S. DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, wrongly alleges a government conspiracy that includes decorated federal agent, Jaime Kuykendall . How do you see the situation of violence in the country? 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. During his acceptance speech, he thanked everyone who had been part of the learning process, making him the person he is now. . She started the Enrique S. Camarena Educational Foundation in 2004 exactly for the purpose. Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, agente de la DEA nacido en Mxico y naturalizado estadounidense, fue secuestrado el 7 de febrero de 1985 por hombres del Crtel de Guadalajara dos semanas antes de . The former DEA agent Kiki Camarenas death has been a testimony to the violent and political nature of drug cartels that form the backbone of the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs. 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. Whats the true story? Enrique is around 46, while Erik is 41 years old, and Daniel, the youngest, is 39. Mika has become a major advocate for drug awareness across the U.S., keeping her late husband's memory alive. Her husband, Kiki Camarena became a DEA agent after he served as a police officer for several years. The CIA has denied the allegations. We did not meet on the street. 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. 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. Of the 10, three agreed to be interviewed for this story. The son of a heroic DEA agent . So, why would drug dealers go after and kill Camarena, a fairly low-level drug agent? Powered by. I had come to know several of the DEA agents in Laredo. Shortly before Caro Quintero's arrest Friday, U.S. The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. His family knew that being a Special Agent could be very dangerous. Our youth will lose.. Michael Pea plays DEA Agent Enrique Kiki Camarena in Season 1 of Narcos: Mexico. 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. According to its website, no other event so galvanized public opinion against drug trafficking and abuse., The foundation offers scholarships to high school seniors, as well as a bust program in Camarena's likeness as a memorial to those lost in the struggle against drug trafficking or drug abuse., La vita di un vero Narcos non come ve la immaginate. This is a United States Government, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website. Today, the eight-day celebration is an annual catalyst to show intolerance for drugs in our schools, workplaces, and communities. 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. I never met him. At age 40, Camarena Jr. takes the Superior Court bench after 15 years as a deputy district attorney in San Diego County, and his swearing-in ceremony drew a capacity gallery in the court's presiding department. The site was in the mountains near Sinaloa's border with the northern border state of Chihuahua. N arcos: Mexico 's first two seasons revolve around the 1985 murder of undercover DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was abducted . She told the newspaper, Since retiring as a skin-care consultant, I can spend more time as president of the foundation. 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. The proceeds from the sales are used to sponsor six scholarships to high school students throughout the nation each year. Kiki's wife, Geneva "Mika" Camarena, mourned the loss of her husband. The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. He spent 28 years in prison . Flix Gallardo: That I wish her comfort. He was also a veteran, having joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968, according to a DEA biography of him. I did not participate in such an act [Camarena's murder]. 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. Since You Can't Go to the Movies, Amazon Prime Brought the Movies to You, Amazon Prime Delivery Is Experiencing Delays in the Wake of Coronavirus, The Best Amazon Prime Shows of 2020, in Case You Needed Another Reason to Stay In. LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 14: Michael Pena (Enrique 'Kiki" Camarena) and Tenoch Huerta (Rafael Caro Quintero) attend Netflix's 'Narcos: Mexico' Season 1 Premiere at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live. After his discharge, he briefly had a stint working as a fireman before . He was born on July 26, 1947, in the small town of Mexicali in Baja California. 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 . 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 . I have half my body paralyzed,said Flix Gallardo, 75, the co-founder of the Guadalajara cartel, one of the first drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. After retiring, she now dedicates all her time to the organization and works together with schools and the law enforcement department to raise awareness about drugs among youths and their parents. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and then executed. Geneva 'Mika' Camarena was born in 1948 near Fresno, California, and was raised in Calexico, a city in Imperial County, California. Not just the prosecution, but oversee the entire way the case is handled and all thats put forth in the case and the decisions that need to be made. The Camarena Foundation also supports Red Ribbon week for drug awareness each year. We will be seeking his immediate extradition to the United States so he can be tried for these crimes in the very justice system Special Agent Camarena died defending.. This is the story of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. The Times noted that the bodies appeared to have been tortured and were found near a ranch in Michoacan state. 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. 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. A version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo. She continues her mission to combat the societal effects of drugs in her late husband's honor. Later on, he was killed while I was in prison. The four-part cartel docuseries The Last Narc is set to premiere on Prime on May 15. I was born in 46. "It's morphed into something else; I have to oversee everything now," said Camarena Jr."Not just the prosecution, but oversee the entire way the case is handled and all that's put forth in the case and the decisions that need to be made. Do you identify with the character that appears in the series? For Kikis son, Thursday was a brighter milestone he said his dad would have treasured. As he lay dying, a cartel doctor was ordered to keep him alert by administering drugs.. Their three children were only aged 11, 6 and 4 at the time. My family is digging a grave so that I may be buried next to a tree. Her eldest son Enrique became a deputy district attorney in 2014, working in the South Bay. The work he performed had never been done at that level. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Read More: Narcos: Mexico Filming Locations. Kikis kids are all grown up. Jacob G. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. So, where are they now? I am going on 76 years. Berrellez was heroic and ended up solving the case. His name is still seen on T-shirts. What relationship did you have with Caro Quintero and Fonseca Carrillo? He died so others would not have to. Suspect wanted for the killing of DEA Agent "Kiki" Camarena was arrested in Mexicali. They messed up my hearing. Soon after, they got hitched and had three sons Enrique Jr., Daniel, and Erik. Kiki's kids are all grown up. A retired skin care consultant, Mika now focuses even more of her time on running the foundation. It took five years and four months to face him. Camarena poses with Mexican law enforcement. JALISCO, Mexico Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo appeared in a wheelchair in the maximum security area of the Puente Grande state prison, in Jalisco. It was a very big question, because it took me five years to meet him. After he graduated from high school, he joined the Marine Corps. But, Kiki told her no. He, that person you're mentioning,I was never in Medelln or Cali, as the series says. In 2020 alone, a total of 34,515 homicides were registered. Your strong efforts, he said, knowing better than anyone I hadn't stopped insisting during all these years. However, she grew up in Calexico. She has worked as an insurance clerk and as an office clerk for the Calexico Municipal Court. And Im not talking about who you are as a lawyer or trial skills. Like in the show, Gallardo was arrested by Guillermo Gonzalez Calderoni (played by Julio Cesar Cedillo).. Soon after high school, Camarena joined the Marines. He said, "Even if I'm only one person, I can make a difference." The DEA Museum's documentary tribute to Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, hosted by Curator of Education Josh Edmundson, features never-before-seen interviews honoring the man whose death inspired the creation of Red Ribbon Week. Mika Camarena lives in her home in Chula Vista, California. . The Amazon Prime series provides the real backstory of what happened to Camarena and why. She was educated at Calexico High School and later attended Imperial Valley College. And the nation mourned the loss of a hero. Would love your thoughts, please comment. What did you do before you were arrested? In . 4. Enrique worked on domestic violence and child abuse cases, after having given his father his word that hed not become a police officer, due to the dangers of the job. The brutal murder marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations. Camarena was abducted by corrupt officers on behalf of the cartel in Guadalajara, Mexico, in February 1985. Camarena was survived by his widow, Geneva (also known as Mika), and their three children. They kept beating me up. In an interview with Frontline, Calderoni gave a play-by-play of the high-stakes arrest, which went far less dramatically in . Distractify is a registered trademark. Caro Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, had since returned to drug trafficking and unleashed bloody turf battles in the northern Mexico border state of Sonora. Enrique Camarena Jr. was just 11 when his father was killed by cartel members. The program has worked with many schools nationwide, sharing Kiki Camarena's story, and the harms of using drugs. Rafael Caro Quintero was convicted in the 1985 death of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena but set free in 2013 after a court overturned his 40-year sentence. But after Berrellez figured out what was really going on, he was taken off the case. Caro Quintero was one of the primary suppliers of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the United States in the late 1970s. Kiki never saw his wife or family again. 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. They messed up my eyesight. Would you say something to Agent Camarenas widow? The son of a heroic DEA agent slain in the line of duty nearly three decades ago took his oath of office to become the newest San Diego Superior Court judge Thursday, following his father's "legacy of duty.". In 2019, the Mexican government increased the number of people who have disappearedduring the war on drug trafficking to60,053. Did he really move to Guadalajara, Mexico and work for the DEA? Full Context. 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