He was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and received his B.A. "My health is terrible. 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. 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. 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 . On August 30, 2021, Dora Camarena Soto, the mother of famous DEA agent Kiki Camerena, passed away at the age of 97. The brutal murder marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations. She presides over the Enrique S. Camarena Foundation set up in 2004. In 1956, Kiki moved with his family to Calexico, California. Flix Gallardo: I dedicated myself to agriculture and livestock since I was a child. She went on to raise her three boys alone. In various judicial and academic investigations, Flix Gallardo was closely linked to the beginning of the large drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. Mika has become a major advocate for drug awareness across the U.S., keeping her late husbands memory alive. Dont give up the war. In other words, we led a family life. Mika Camarena, whose given name is Geneva Camarena, was high school sweethearts with Kiki. 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. Soon after high school, Camarena joined the Marines. Today we are talking about the story behind American hero and former DEA agent, Kiki Camarena. I think of my grandchildren. 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. In 1987, Mr. Hornberger left the practice of law to become director of programs at the Foundation for Economic Education. Special Agent Enrique Kiki Camarena: A Man With A Moral Mission Enrique Kiki Camarena was born on July 26, 1947, in Mexicali, Mexico, to Mexican parents. His death stunned the nation and forever changed the war. November 16, only on Netflix. Stop adding to the list! 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. in order to understand why the drug war continues today, they had to trace . 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. View these interviews at
The bottom line: Gallardo went way too far by targeting Camarena. The case has been a point of contention . Calderoni warned Hector to back off the Camarena case, telling him in Spanish, "My son, the CIA killed Camarena. Geneva 'Mika' Camarena was born in 1948 near Fresno, California, and was raised in Calexico, a city in Imperial County, California. They kept beating me up. What's the real story of the death of Kiki Camarena? Ernesto Don Neto Fonseca and Rafael Caro Quintero were other cartel leaders involved. Camarena earned a BA from the prestigious Dartmouth College before securing his JD from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law. The money goes toward scholarships. She graduated from Imperial Valley College. Flix Gallardo: I never met that person. The DFS agents then took Camarena, blindfolded and held at gunpoint, to one of Caro-Quintero's haciendas five miles away. Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo: Im not going to talk about because they've treated us poorly. education: Calexico High School, Imperial Valley College, (Activist, wife of late DEA agent Kiki Camarena), https://clintonschoolphotography.com/p648939638/h264DCF62#h264dcf62, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-diane-bell-talks-geneva-camarena-2010mar14-htmlstory.html, https://www.parkerpioneer.net/news/article_2af418d4-78d5-11e5-83be-4753208428fd.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB9mvitPafk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MncfXSZZNtE. Michael Pea plays DEA Agent Enrique Kiki Camarena in Season 1 of Narcos: Mexico. NBC 7's Rory Devine has more. She continues her mission to combat the societal effects of drugs in her late husband's honor. A 35 aos del asesinato de Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, el diario estadounidenses USA Today asegur en un artculo escrito por Brad Heath, que las autoridades norteamericanas estn . Thats the way that Camarena comes across in all three of these series. Since her husband's death, she has become an activist and advocates drug awareness among the youth. Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, 37, was abducted, tortured and killed in 1985 while working with the DEA in Mexico . The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. Powered by. Later Thursday, another former prosecutor recently appointed to the local judiciary by Gov. The DEA assigned the case to a special agent named Hector Berrellez,a highly decorated DEA special agent who plays the central role in The Last Narc. The Camarena murder never made any sense to me. I'm not hoping. Violence is a consequence of unemployment, of social inequality, which Mr. Lpez Obrador is solving little by little. Image source. All rights reserved, Ed Sheeran Shares His Wife Had a Tumor During Pregnancy, Oleato': Starbucks' Olive Oil-Infused Drinks Spark Curiosity in Italy, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know. The previous seasons focused on the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel. I never met that man. With President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador's amnesty for inmates over 75 years of age, do you hope to benefit from that measure? Moreover, the DEA even went so far as to orchestrate the kidnapping in Mexico of a Mexican doctor who was alleged to have assisted with Camarenas torture. 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. The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. Youve learned a lot from people in this job. 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. The organization offers life-size bronze busts of Kiki to be unveiled at schools and libraries in San Diego and across the country. It has been some time since the valiant agent passed away, and his body was discovered in 1985. This doesnt seem to have stopped her as she went ahead to form the, Mika worked as a skincare consultant in the years after the incident. His tortured body was found a month later. Because of your relentless efforts! From a national health authority. Late Friday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed the U.S. government's deep gratitude to Mexican authorities for Caro Quintero's arrest and offered condolences for the Mexican military personnel who died in the helicopter crash. There had been tensions between the Mexican government and the DEA after Mexico enacted a law limiting the U.S. agency's operations. Flix Gallardo: I have to tell you, ma'am, I've had a 5-inch TV set in prison; I'm not aware of any violence. Kiki's children Enrique, Daniel, and Eric mourned the loss of their father. His mother even tried to talk him out of it. Camarena was survived by his widow, Geneva (also known as Mika), and their three children. Camarena was born in 1947 in Baja California, Mexico.He moved to the United States of America at a young age, but continued to periodically visit his grandmother in Guadalajara.. After completing his education, he served in the U.S. Marines for three years, attaining a rank of Lance Corporal. He spoke about it, saying, Its morphed into something else; I have to oversee everything now. They don't let us have visitors, no phone booths, no lawyers. He is giving pensions. Kiki Camarena was born Enrique (Kiki) S. Camarena on July 26, 1947, in Mexicali, Mexico. IE 11 is not supported. Kiki and his wife Mika are pictured here on their wedding day. In Sonora, one of the state's hit hardest by Caro Quintero's efforts to reclaim his territory, there was a hope his arrest could help. I don't even know why I'm here. The Mexican drug lord whose role in ordering the kidnapping and murder of a US drugs enforcement agent in 1985 was featured in Netflix drama Narcos: Mexico has been captured by law enforcement.. Rafael Caro Quintero, a notorious co-founder of the brutal Guadalajara Cartel, was behind the torture and murder of 37-year-old DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Kiki gave his life in the fight against drugs, and the public wanted to do something to remember the ultimate sacrifice that he paid. His name is still seen on T-shirts. 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 I'm really sorry because I know he was a good man. The case is thus, believed to be undergoing another investigation, that may bring more shocking results. I had stomach surgery. In April 2016 I had the first contact with one of his lawyers in Mexico City. And revealing as well! Flix Gallardo: Since I havent made a mistake, I have nothing to repent. 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. After his death, she focused on raising her three kids and worked hard as a skin-care consultant. It shows that she is in a relationship with Ricardo, who, according to one of her comments, works at a Ford Agency. Until his capture last week, the 69-year-old Caro Quintero was the Drug Enforcement Administration's most wanted man, accused of killing DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985 and then resuming a drug . Kiki and his mother, Dora Salazar-Camarena. I received a plastic bag over my head to suffocate me. 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. It was his end, and his new cartels end, and it was El Chapos beginning (the eventual drug lord is first seen in the beginning of Narcos: Mexico in all his humble beginnings as a driver for a Sinaloan drug lord). Cartels have never existed in Guadalajara. 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.". 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. Camarena held other positions in law enforcement before joining the DEA. At this point, nothing would surprise me. She also said that the prosecutors and agents working on the case, notified it to her after which there have been no further updates. 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. On the other hand, Enrique has proudly followed his fathers footsteps. He went on to serve as the deputy district attorney in the Office of the District Attorney of San Diego from 1999 to 2014. In addition to the foregoing, Mika Camarena is the president of the foundation set up in the name of her husband since its inception in 2004. 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. Mika Camarena serves as the President of the foundation, whereas her son, Enrique Kiki Camarena Jr., serves as the Vice President of Civic and Business Affairs. 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. An appeals court overturned Caro Quinteros verdict in 2013, but the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. 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. But if you just want to watch The Last Narc only, that is sufficient. Camarena is pictured here in his high school basketball uniform. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Today, Fonseca is on house arrest, and Caro Quintera was "released . They were mostly guys in their early 30s who had joined the DEA with the patriotic aim of winning the war on drugs. Whats the true story? Did he really move to Guadalajara, Mexico and work for the DEA? She has constantly been out in public, creating awareness by talking about eliminating drug abuse and its market. 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, he said, as his former colleagues in the district attorneys office nodded appreciatively along with his family and friends. Mika Camarena is an American activist and the wife of late Mexican-born American undercover agent for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Enrique S. 'Kiki' Camarena Salazar, who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by drug cartels in early 1985 while on assignment in Mexico. Not much is known about Erik or Daniel. And Im going to be serving my county, serving this community in a different way., Camarena, much like his father, is a peoples person. Consisting of four one-hour segments, it will be the most fascinating drug-war documentary you will ever watch. And Im not talking about who you are as a lawyer or trial skills. According to The San Diego Union Tribune, the couple met at Calexico High School in Calexico, California, and became high-school sweethearts. She later became a clerk in the Calexico Municipal Court, but eventually took the job of a skin-care consultant, which she continued till retiring. She is pregnant throughout part of the show and living with him in Mexico with their family while his job increases in danger. Berrellez was heroic and ended up solving the case. Amazingly, Gallardo was only recently sentenced in the death (hed been sentenced before but a retrial was ordered; he never left prison after 1989, though). 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. 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. Watch The Last Narc to see why. 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. 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. And thats what Ive been doing up until yesterday. N arcos: Mexico 's first two seasons revolve around the 1985 murder of undercover DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was abducted . The couple had lived there for four years because of his work for the DEA, which involved trailing Mexican marijuana and cocaine drug traffickers. A locked padlock They seem to maintain low profiles and don't have an over social media presence. So, where are they now? 4. Suspect wanted for the killing of DEA Agent "Kiki" Camarena was arrested in Mexicali. Kiki was surrounded by five armed men who threw him into a car and sped away. They then forcibly brought him to the United States to stand trial in federal district court. "That's a lifetime for a man who didn't commit a crime.". It appears that Kikis children have made new lives for themselves, but they continue to remember the heroics of their father, that perhaps changed the course of history itself. They were high school sweethearts and continued their relationship after he began working as a firefighter and then joined the police in Calexico. Gallardo was sentenced to 37 years in 2017 for the death of Camarena by a Mexican court (as well as the murder of Alfredo Zavala, a Mexican pilot), according to The Times. Mika Camarena, wife of slain DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, with DEA San Diego at Camarena Elementary, #redribbonweek pic.twitter.com/5XYAfwsoTP, DEASanDiego (@DEASANDIEGODiv) October 27, 2016, Mika worked as a skincare consultant in the years after the incident. 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. Who was the real Kiki Camarena? 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. The work he performed had never been done at that level. Anyone can figure out that that sort of thing is just going to get the U.S. government even more determined to come after you. In addition, it takes the added responsibility of commemorating those who have been a victim of fighting illegal drug trades. The DEA also kept her informed about the developments regarding punishing the people responsible for Kiki's death. 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 . 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