The Enrique Camarena Case

The Abduction February 7, 1985, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was abducted near the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico. Capt. Alfredo Zavala, a DEA source, was abducted a short time later near the Guadalajara Airport. Camarena was abducted by five men in a light colored compact car.

A Little History Camarena was born in Mexico. His family moved to Southern California when he was nine years old. Joined the Marines. After the Marines, he became a fireman, then a policeman, and then joined the DEA. Worked in the fields in Southern California. Went to school at age eleven. Many of his friends got involved in drugs.

A Little More History Camarena was the father of three boys. He planned to retire three weeks after the date he was abducted. He was going to meet his wife, Mika for lunch when he was abducted.

And A Little More History Camarena was an undercover agent who had been monitoring a multi-billion dollar syndicate which he suspected extended to the highest reaches of the Mexican army, police, and government. In November 1984, the Mexican authorities and the DEA raided an enormous marijuana plantation called “The Buffalo”. The Buffalo was 12 square miles and had ~12,000 employees. Drug trafficker Rafael Caro-Quintero was thought to be the owner.

The Mexican Federal Judicial Police Response Slow! Primer Comandante Pavon-Reyes was put in charge of the MFJP investigation. Rafael Caro-Quintero and Ernesto Fonseca were quickly developed as suspects. Caro-Quintero was encountered at the Guadalajara Airport, but was allowed to board a private jet and leave. Caro-Quintero bribed Pavon-Reyes with six figures to leave the airport.

The Investigation February 1985, several Mexican residences and ranches were searched to no avail. The U.S. Government started to apply tremendous pressure. Mexican drug traffickers and certain MFJP officers fabricated a plan. NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement Search and Seizure at the boarder Press releases of CIA information about the Mexican government.

The Plan The MFJP were to receive a letter indicating that SA Camarena and Captain Zavala were being held at the Bravo drug gang’s ranch in La Angostura, Michoacan (~ 60 miles from Guadalajara). The MFJP would raid the ranch finding the bodies of the two missing men. The MFJP would report to the DEA that the case was closed.

What Really Happened! During early March, MFJP officers raided the Bravo ranch before DEA agents arrived. A shootout occurred killing all of the Bravo gang and one MFJP officer. The bodies were found by the side of the road in plastic bags. Not buried as planned. The bodies were found by a passer-by along the road near the ranch after the shootout. They were autopsied at a local morgue. Then taken to a morgue in Gaudalajara for a second autopsy.

The Investigation Continues March 7, 1985 – The FBI sent a forensic team to Guadalajara. They were allowed to examine the bodies. Cadaver 1 was identified by fingerprints as Camarena. Cadaver 2 was later identified by dental records. The local government delayed the forensic team at every turn. The bodies were highly decomposed.

The Investigation Continues Requests to process the clothing, cordage, and burial sheet were denied. They were allowed to cut small, “known” samples of each and take hair samples. Soil samples were removed from the bodies and their clothing.

Camarena’s Cause of Death Death caused by blunt-force injuries. He had a hole in his skull caused by a rod-like instrument.

The Road Side The next day, both FBI and DEA personal proceeded to the Bravo ranch to the site where the bodies were found. No grave site was found. The soil on the bodies was different in color from the soil where the bodies had been deposited. Samples were taken for comparison. No significant body fluids at the site. The crime site had not been controlled and was contaminated by police and onlookers. Only a limited search was conducted.

The Road Side Conclusion – The bodies had been buried elsewhere, exhumed, and transported to this site.

A New Investigation The MFJP officials were later confronted with this evidence. Several State Judicial Police officers were arrested and interrogated. Primer Comandante Pavon-Reyes was fired. Arrest warrants were issued for several international drug traffickers including Rafael Caro-Quintero and Ernesto Fonseca.

Vehicle was traced to a Ford dealership owned by Rafael Caro-Quintero. Late March 1985 – DEA agents located a black Mercury Gran Marquis which they believed was used in the kidnapping or transportation of Camarena. Vehicle was traced to a Ford dealership owned by Rafael Caro-Quintero. The car was processed for hair, fiber, blood, and fingerprint evidence. The car was stored in a garage in Gaudalajara. A brick wall had been built to conceal the car. The car was proceeded at the Gaudalajara Airport under the watchful eye of the MFJP.

881 Lope De Vega April 1985 – the MFJP informed the DEA that they believed they had located the residence where Camarena and Zavala had been held. The FBI dispatched a forensic team to Guadalajara; however they were not allowed to proceed to the residence until an MFJP forensic team had processed the residence and had removed all the obvious evidence. The DEA was also informed that since the abduction of Camarena, all of the interior walls had been painted, the entire residence had been cleaned, and that a group of MFJP officers were presently occupying and thereby contaminating, the residence.

881 Lope De Vega The guest house has a steel door with iron reinforcement bars. The guest house bedroom and bathroom were processed for hairs, fibers, and latent fingerprints. Later, testimonial and physical evidence helped determine that several individuals interrogated and tortured Camarena in this room. As upstairs bedroom (locked) in the residence was also processed and carpet samples were taken from each room.

881 Lope De Vega A beige VW Atlantic was under a carport at the rear of the residence. On the second day, a thorough grounds search was conducted. They observed a folded blue license plate in a drain near the tennis courts. They removed the iron drain grate, unfolded the license plate and photographed it. The VW was processed for hairs, fibers, and latent fingerprints. MFJP officers became very upset when the FBI agents found the license plate. Their assistant Primer Comendante arrived on the scene and seized the license plate and would not allow the Americans to conduct any further searches. Later they were allowed to come back to collect sample from the other bedrooms.

La Primavera Park An associate of Rafael Caro-Quintero was arrested and interrogated by the MFJP. He stated that the bodies of two Americans, Albert Radelat and John Walker, were buried on the South side of La Primavera Park. Soil samples taken from this site 2 feet below the surface were very similar (grain for grain) to the soil found on Camarena and Zavala.

Rene Verdugo A drug trafficker and high ranking member of the Caro-Quintero gang was arrested January 1986 and taken to San Diego. He was thought to be involved in the kidnapping of Camarena.

Sergio Espino-Verdin A former Federal Comendante. He was believed to be the primary interrogator during Camarena’s ordeal at 881 Lope De Vega.

The Trial of Rene Verdugo and Sergio Espino-Verdin U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, CA Started July 1988. Lasted 8 weeks. Both were found guilty of the murder, interrogation, and abduction of Camarena.

22 Persons Charged, Many Convicted Rafael Caro-Quintero Drug Lord 92 years Ernesto Fonseca Life Sentence Felix Gallardo 40 years Rubin Zuno Ex-President’s brother-in-law Dr. Alvarez -Machain Caro-Quintero’s family doctor Liberated due to lack of evidence

Red Ribbon Week Americans celebrate Red Ribbon Week during the third week of October to honor Enrique Camarena’s efforts in the drug war and to encourage others to take a stand against drugs.