She, Mika Camarena lives in her home in Chula Vista, California. Suspect wanted for the killing of DEA Agent "Kiki" Camarena was arrested in Mexicali. Kiki Camarena's son, Enrique Camarena is now a judge in California after serving as a deputy district attorney for years. Dont give it up because theyll win. 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. He was on his way to meet his wife, Geneva "Mika" Camarena who was his high school sweetheart for lunch. He was raised in California, graduating from Calexico High School in Calexico, California in 1966. In . Flix Gallardo: No. 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. His death stunned the nation and forever changed the war. For more than 30 hours, Caro-Quintero and others interrogated Camarena and . On August 30, 2021, Dora Camarena Soto, the mother of famous DEA agent Kiki Camerena, passed away at the age of 97. I had stomach surgery. Camarena Educational Foundation in 2004 exactly for the purpose. CIA killed Kiki. Flix Gallardo: It is a very sad subject. Here's What That Means, Aztecs Falter Late, Boise State Ends Six-Game Win Streak, Nanny Sentenced for Killing 4-Week-Old San Diego Baby She Was Hired to Care For, Fishermen Find Missing Man's Remains Inside Shark's Stomach Off Argentina Coast, More Mysterious Booms' Heard Round San Diego, Brace For More Winter Weather, San Diego. He said, "Even if I'm only one person, I can make a difference." Shortly before Caro Quintero's arrest Friday, U.S. Mexicos national arrest registry listed the time of Caro Quinteros arrest as around midday. Today, she lives in Chula Vista. He has advanced freedom and free markets on talk-radio stations all across the country as well as on Fox News Neil Cavuto and Greta van Susteren shows and he appeared as a regular commentator on Judge Andrew Napolitanos show Freedom Watch. He spent 28 years in prison . But, Kiki told her no. Flix Gallardo: I dedicated myself to agriculture and livestock since I was a child. 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. Meet Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. And that is what he didin life and through his death. They seem to maintain low profiles and don't have an over social media presence. In 2020 alone, a total of 34,515 homicides were registered. N arcos: Mexico 's first two seasons revolve around the 1985 murder of undercover DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was abducted . The four-part cartel docuseries The Last Narc is set to premiere on Prime on May 15. I'm not aware why they've linked me to that crime. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara, allegedly on orders from Caro Quintero. And sure enough, thats what happened. In a talk, she, In an interview, she also spoke of the changes that have come out in the aftermath of her husbands death. Since her husband's death, she has become an activist and advocates drug awareness among the youth. On the day of his abduction, Camarena was supposed to meet up with his wife, but she would never see him again. Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, 37, was abducted, tortured and killed in 1985 while working with the DEA in Mexico . [I was] with my family. In season 2, an enraged DEA jacks up its efforts to dismantle the cartel and get cartel figures to prosecution, even going so far as abducting a doctor accused of being affiliated with the cartel and assisting in Camarenas death. Kiki Camarena, the DEA agent that Dr. Delgado is accused of helping torture in Narcos Mexico Season 2. 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. If Enrique could share a message today, Mika says it would be one of hope and persistence. 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.. After his death, she focused on raising her three kids and worked hard as a skin-care consultant. As you can see, I can't walk. An official website of the United States government. In 1985, I was practicing law in Texas. Camarena was survived by his widow, Geneva (also known as Mika), and their three children. 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. Violence is a consequence of unemployment, of social inequality, which Mr. Lpez Obrador is solving little by little. 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. The program has worked with many schools nationwide, sharing Kiki Camarena's story, and the harms of using drugs. We didnt see a lot of effort (to capture Caro Quintero) in the last several years, especially when (Lpez Obrador) came in and immediately started to dismantle a lot of the infrastructure and the bilateral relationships between the U.S. and Mexico relative to drug trafficking, Vigil said. 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. Ten of the informants were eyewitnesses to the kidnapping and murder of Kiki Camarena. Kiki never saw his wife or family again. The site was in the mountains near Sinaloa's border with the northern border state of Chihuahua. Today, Fonseca is on house arrest, and Caro Quintera was released from prison in 2013 on a legal technicality and is being sought by the U.S. Camarenas death changed the face of Mexican drug cartels. Kiki Camarena was born Enrique (Kiki) S. Camarena on July 26, 1947, in Mexicali, Mexico. Today we are talking about the story behind American hero and former DEA agent, Kiki Camarena. According to The San Diego Union Tribune, the couple met at Calexico High School in Calexico, California, and became high-school sweethearts. In 2004, she established the Enrique S. Camarena Educational Foundation with the help of several retired DEA agents, as well as her son Enrique. In an. 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. The non-profit's aim is to fight against youth drug use and abuse. Calderoni warned Hector to back off the Camarena case, telling him in Spanish, "My son, the CIA killed Camarena. The money goes toward scholarships. 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. You may have seen his story memorialized on the first season o. First Lady Nancy Reagan later turned Red Ribbon . Her eldest son Enrique became a deputy district attorney in 2014, working in the South Bay. All three series tell the story of Kiki Camarena, a 37-year-old DEA agent assigned to work in Mexico during the 1980s. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara, allegedly on orders from Caro Quintero. Noticias Telemundo: How has your life been in prison? He was one of eight children and was about nine years old when he moved to Calexico, California. That will get you better set for watching The Last Narc. 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. Flix Gallardo: I never met that person. However, Enrique is realistic and recognized how his duties would be different in the new role. He is also a judge for the Superior Court of San Diego County. You have spent many years in prison. 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. . View these interviews at in economics from Virginia Military Institute and his law degree from the University of Texas. FollowNBC LatinoonFacebook,TwitterandInstagram. 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 told me very little because he didnt want me to worry. I believe in Sonora, in general, there could be calm, and yes, relief for us, because I believe the disappearances will diminish, said Cecilia Duarte, an activist with a team of volunteer searchers in Sonora who look for the clandestine graves of the disappeared. 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. She went on to raise her three boys alone. This is the first interview that Flix Gallardo has granted during his sentence. After his discharge, he briefly had a stint working as a fireman before . He worked locally. 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. Camarena received many awards and is considered an American hero. One of the men threw a jacket over Kiki's head, and the driver sped away. It has been some time since the valiant agent passed away, and his body was discovered in 1985. We have to give it time. Send him email. They are old men living humble, ordinary lives in . Drug trafficking has raised the levels of violence and conflict in 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. However, she feels that changes in the DEA did help in a significant way after her husband's death, as her children's education was paid for by the amount raised for survivors' benefit. The Reagan Administration predictably freaked out and exercised its power. Later on, he was killed while I was in prison. 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.". People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. What she was able to tell me was that he was a guy that just wanted to do good. Why were you linked to this murder? In addition, it takes the added responsibility of commemorating those who have been a victim of fighting illegal drug trades. His name is still seen on T-shirts. 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. It organizes various activities and events as a part of it. "It's been 32 years," he said. What relationship did you have with Caro Quintero and Fonseca Carrillo? Where is Kiki Camarena son now? . Though she keeps a private Instagram account, her Facebook page has various updates of events from her life. 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. And Im not talking about who you are as a lawyer or trial skills. In 1956, Kiki moved with his family to Calexico, California. (You can see photos of the real people behind the Narcos: Mexico characters here.) 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 . We are deeply grateful to Mexican authorities for their capture and arrest . The Amazon Prime series provides the real backstory of what . According to The Los Angeles Times, Camarenas murder led to the fall of Gallardo and his close associates and the fracturing of their cartel. In later years, DEA agent James Kuykendall, who was Camarenas supervisor in Guadalajara, has spoken out about the CIA and the Kiki Camarena murder. The foundations major goal is to make the country free of illegal drugs. 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. Mika Camarena lives in her home in Chula Vista, California. A version of this story was first published in Noticias Telemundo. DEA 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. However, Enriques moment to shine truly came in 2014, when he was sworn in as the latest San Diego Superior Court judge. Because of this, he was scheduled to be moved to another assignment in 1985. In March 1985, the DEA recovered the body of Kiki Camarena, 37, who left behind Mika and three children named Enrique, Daniel, and Erik. In various judicial and academic investigations, Flix Gallardo was closely linked to the beginning of the large drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. 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. JALISCO, Mexico Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo appeared in a wheelchair in the maximum security area of the Puente Grande state prison, in Jalisco. Flix Gallardo, 75, the co-founder of the Guadalajara cartel, he was re-sentenced to 37 years for Camarena's murder. I'm not asking anything from the president. She said: those in the DEA headquarters learned quite a bit from this. The DEA also kept her informed about the developments regarding punishing the people responsible for Kiki's death. Powered by. They were high school sweethearts and continued their relationship after he began working as a firefighter and then joined the police in Calexico. A locked padlock Getty Don Neto is a key character in Narcos: Mexico. I was born in 46. Kiki and his mother, Dora Salazar-Camarena. The foundation is a non-profit that is aimed to help youth who suffer from any kind of drug abuse. Son, Brother, Husband, Father, US Marine, DEA Agent. Though she keeps a private Instagram account, her Facebook page has various updates of events from her life. Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 - February 9, 1985) was an American intelligence officer for the United States (DEA). She has constantly been out in public, creating awareness by talking about eliminating drug abuse and its market. A retired skin care consultant, Mika now focuses even more of her time on running the foundation. Berrellez was heroic and ended up solving the case. At the time, he spoke about how his father would have been proud of the achievement. 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. Consisting of four one-hour segments, it will be the most fascinating drug-war documentary you will ever watch. He has lost vision in one of his eyes and is deaf in his left ear. Flix Gallardo: Since I havent made a mistake, I have nothing to repent. 1985 - Camarena's Death. The Netflix series details the background of the case and how this horrendous crime unfolded. 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. I did not participate in such an act [Camarena's murder]. Snow, Rain and Wind in the Forecast Yet Again. The men in question were working under the orders of the big wigs of the Guadalajara cartel. He was a police officer, and then he became part of the DEA. For Kikis son, Thursday was a brighter milestone he said his dad would have treasured. Flix Gallardo: I'm not expecting that. Enrique is around 46, while Erik is 41 years old, and Daniel, the youngest, is 39. 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. 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. In 1985, Camarena was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and then executed. He was the kind of guy who just wanted to keep the streets safe. 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 . 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. Flix Gallardo: I dont know them. The previous seasons focused on the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel. Kikis kids are all grown up. 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. 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. 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 DFS agents then took Camarena, blindfolded and held at gunpoint, to one of Caro-Quintero's haciendas five miles away. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. He blamed Camarena for a raid on a marijuana plantation in 1984. 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