Amazing insight on not only the investigation, but also to the man conducting it! As a government employee and a veteran myself. Hector is a hero, and a victim. On January 3, 1989, Special Agent Hector Berrellez was assigned to the case. As Berrellez told The Post, cartel leaders and American operatives wanted to find out what [Kiki] knew about collusion between the cartel and the CIA and what he might spill upon his upcoming reassignment to the United States. There he was convicted to 40 years in prison. The Last Narc alleges that some US political operatives viewed Kiki as collateral damage in a larger mission to protect America against foreign enemies. He maintains that the CIA functioned hand-in-glove with the cartel, allegedly using drug money to finance covert military operations, much like the Iran-Contra affair of the same era. The money is used for black operations even Congress and the president are unaware of. There is, however, little documentation to back up the claims of CIA involvement and the statements of the sources are not all rock solid. He would be reportedly tortured for about 30 hours and brutally killed in Mexico. The 42-year-old had been at the agency for ten years, spoke Spanish, had an immense undercover experience and had even interacted with Camarena over the phone. There are good cops out there; Hector is one of them. All rights reserved. I was glued. By the mid-1980s, Mexican and US media referred to him as the Guadalajara Cartel's boss. The case definitely opened new pages in the progression of time with different facts coming up. "Back in the middle 1980s, the DFS, their main role was to protect the drug lords," former DEA agent Hector Berrellez, who led the investigation into Camarena's murder, told Fox News in 2013. Desperados: Latin Drug Lords, U.S. Lawmen, and the War America Can't Win, El Sicario: The Autobiography of a Mexican Assassin, Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive. Camarena by drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico in which Hector I want the truth to be out, Mika Camarena, Enriques widow, told the outlet. In July 2020, Amazon released a docuseries, a real story called The Last Narcabout the death of Kiki Camarena at the age of 37. Hector Berellez lived his earliest years away from the media but attended the prestigious University of Phoenix and the University of Michoacan, Mexico for Bachelors and Doctorate respectively. It is a high-level international investigation and executive security firm which specializes in investigating things related to business, the government, or the environment. I feel like Berrellez is telling the truth whether his helper writers get it right or not. Drawing heavily from news accounts, they say in 1970 he was arrested in Dulles Airport with 25 kilos of cocaine. Interviews: Geneva Camarena & Ex-DEA agents Mike Holm, Hector Berrellez,Jaime Kuykendall, Phil Jordan, https://np.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/gkc701/the_last_narc_canceled/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vhhUOaBM_E (The official Amazon trailer is removed), https://meaww.com/the-last-narc-amazon-prime-docuseries-kiki-camarena-murder-torture-hector-berrellez-interview, *NEW* Amazon Prime Series The Last Narc: Hector Berrellez, assigned to lead the DEAs investigation of Enrique "KIKI" Camarenas murder, reveals the bone-chilling truth about a conspiracy that stretches from the killing fields of Mexico to the halls of power in Washington, D.C./ director Tiller Russell, https://np.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/g5pdym/amazon_prime_series_the_last_narc_hector/, THE DEA WAS A MAJOR SELLER OF DRUGS IN THE 1980s- IRAN CONTRA INVESTIGATORS, https://NP.reddit.com/r/NarcoFootage/comments/m02nlq/federal_judge_edward_rafeedie_tried_to_suppress/, U.S. House of Representatives official Transcript, https://np.reddit.com/r/NarcoFootage/comments/l1qzz6/in_1982_the_dea_learned_that_felix_gallardo_was/, https://np.reddit.com/r/NarcoFootage/comments/m6nth0/sicilia_falcon_gross_revenue_37m_per_week_source/, https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/jz4yt9/famous_quotes_by_dea_about_the_contras_and_crack/, https://np.reddit.com/r/TopConspiracy/comments/uwwvh6/dark_alliance_book_version_accuses_the_government/, https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracyundone/comments/vb6rau/iran_contra_records_1980s_dea_ran_drugs_and/, https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracyundone/comments/vb6uyq/san_diego_dea_office_ausa_david_hall_tried_to/, DEA Agent Hector Berrellez: $8 Billion never seized from Drug Lord who Killed DEA Agent Enrique KIKI Camarena. [8] The newspaper writes that The Last Narc makes a convincing argument about Camarena's death: "In a blunt way, this work by Amazon also establishes something that has been ventilated before: the Sinaloa Cartel was a creation of the PRI regime through the DFS and the DFS, in turn, was a creation of the CIA. We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. He spoke Spanish, had done extensive undercover work, and had even spoken with Kiki over the phone on numerous occasions. On November 9, the magazine offered still more details, via an interview with Plumlee, of the alleged connections between the US spy agency and the Guadalajara Cartel's Rafael Caro Quintero, the convicted intellectual author of the Camarena murder. Your story resonates with me. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. The Last Narc: A Memoir by the DEA's Most Notorious Agent In 2013, Hector came forward, saying that he finally believed hed pieced together Kikis murder more completely. Kiki ended up a sacrificial lamb led to the slaughter, said Russell. The court overturned this decision in early November,and authorities are searching for Caro Quintero anew. But in 1846, a new wave of migration was coming from the East Americanos gives us a bit of interesting history that is relevant in the United States current internal friction (chapter Antepasado). Discussion of the Netflix original series "Narcos" & "Narcos Mexico", https://www.forbes.com/sites/doliaestevez/2013/12/05/mexican-fugitive-kingpin-caro-quintero-stashed-billions-in-secret-overseas-accounts-former-dea-agent-claims, https://np.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/gio6om/forbes_rafael_caro_quintero_the_first_billionaire/, U.S. Treasury Tracks Secret Bank Accounts of Top Mexican Kingpin, When Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero ordered the kidnapping, torture and assassination of DEA agent Enrique Camarena in 1985, he was the leader of a billion dollar criminal empire, according to a former DEA agent. According to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sources and documents, the Mexican drug-trafficking cartel that kidnapped, tortured and murdered DEA agent Enrique Camarena in the central city of Guadalajara in February 1985 operated until then with virtual impunity -- not only because it was in league with Mexico's powerful Federal Security Directorate (DFS), but because it believed its activities were secretly sanctioned by the CIA. Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, the DEA agent murdered in Mexico in 1985. It is clear that hes led an exciting life. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, However, when people went to start watching the first episode on release day, they were met with a message saying the title was currently unavailable. DEA agent Hector Berrellez in The Last Narc. Over 3 million titles. Hector holds a BA and BS from the University of Phoenix, Arizona, and a Doctorate in International Law from the University of Michoacan, Mexico. You had a bunch of drug lords sitting around, freebasing cocaine and torturing this guy, Tiller Russell, director of the new Amazon docuseries The Last Narc, told The Post. This story has been shared 163,002 times. One of those arrested was Rafael Caro-Quintero. And while the story is still percolating via Proceso, it has not picked up momentum in the United States for reasons that are clear: it is still thin. The Justice Department reportedly started re-examining the case in 2019, two years after a federal court tossed convictions against two suspects. All About Drew Sidoras Husband And Cheating Claims, Who Is Willow Oakley? Hector Berrellez: Bio, Wife, Children, Career, And - JukeBugs Please keep an eye on our site, as you'll be able to see all available options there! The DEA and Camarena had been utilizing a series of wiretaps to make sizeable drug busts inside Mexico. Courtesy of Amazon Studios. I was glued. The most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. enforcement. Please try again. Amazon has encountered an error. This may sound dramatic but if you pay attention to the nuances of Berrellez writing one Berrellez begins his book I am a man who is haunted by the past. It's been canceled forever and it's a cover-up and they don't want the truth to come out., Hi there. He was recognized by the U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese for heroism. The U.S. government, he explained, was unable to seize the accounts because of the banking secrecy laws in those countries. Rodriguez has denied any involvement and claims that the allegations against him are the result of a Cuban intelligence disinformation campaign. This story is 100% true and shocking in everything it states about the death of Kiki, and US justice. I couldnt set this book down. I wasted my time and exposed myself to all that danger., The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images. [5] During interviews with Camarena's wife, she states that she believes neither the US nor Mexican governments told her the whole truth about her husband's death. One day, Hector spread 10 photographs across his desk and called in the witnesses one at a time. CIA protectiveness of the DFS surfaced publicly in 1981, when the chief of the Mexican agency at that time, Miguel Nazar Haro, was indicted in San Diego on charges of involvement in a massive cross-border car-theft ring. He was 42 years old at the time and had worked in the DEA for more than 10 years. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. [2] The docuseries interviews the DEA agent who spearheaded the investigation of Camarena's death. Actually conducting the interrogation. Thanks for reaching out. It is insidious and widespread. Caro-Quintero was convicted in the kidnapping and murder but was mistakenly released from a Mexican prison in 2013. "A 1983 Customs Investigative Report states that 'SETCO stands for Services Ejecutivos Turistas Commander and is headed by Juan Ramon Mata (sic) Ballesteros, a class I DEA Violator,'" the Kerry report states. Lara Logan confronts alleged Mexican cartel doctor accused of torturing DEA agent, FLASHBACK: A look at DEA agent 'Kiki' Camarena's murder. He said the accounts were listed under the alien name that Caro Quintero, a major drug trafficker and fugitive from U.S. justice, used to do business with Mexican banks. Its called The Last Narc, and its supposed to be available to start streaming on May 15, 2020. I couldnt set this book down. They were blasted out of their minds, doing cannonballs on his chest, anally penetrating him with a broomstick, putting out cigarettes on his skin.. Unbeknownst to him, the "good guys" were never good. [5] The agent, Hector Berrellez, states that the CIA agent Flix Ismael Rodrguez helped torture Camerena to learn what Camarena knew about US connections to Mexican cartels. But, as Berrellez says in the documentary, a supposedly very high-up CIA official told him all this stuff about the CIA bringing in drugs and the CIA being complicit in Kikis murder that you allege and to keep quiet about it. From there, the trafficker made his way to Costa Rica where he was captured and sent back to Mexico. Please try again. His business and political connections attended parties at his lavish mansion and he gave handouts to the poor from his doorstep. The US government continues to hold Hector in the highest regard, due to his expertise in threat assessment, security protection, and terrorism. They allegedly held him in a house filled with spectators and depraved participants, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, then a foot soldier in the syndicate. Besides this, the former DEA agent has also taken to writing. Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022. The FBI office at the U.S. Embassy here cabled strong protests, calling Nazar Haro an "essential contact for CIA station Mexico City.". Eventually, prosecutors did obtain tapes of Camarena's torture and murder. But there was one proof, it ended up becoming one of the biggest investigations in the history of DEA. In January of 1989, Hector was chosen to lead Operation Leyenda. In April 1988, Honduran army officials along with US Marshals picked him up after his morning jog, then bundled him into an airplane and took him to the Dominican Republic. The person writing spoke of the first time he killed a man, shooting him twice in the stomach with a Good 1st person account. Its content is not necessarily a reflection of the positions of the IDRC. As well as trafficking his goods, the airline moved shipments for the State Department and the CIA, according to a 1988 congressional report (pdf). Legal Statement. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. On Feb. 7, 1985, an undercover DEA agent named Enrique Kiki Camerena was abducted in plain sight in Guadalajara, Mexico. Matta Ballesteros was eventually sentenced to multiple life sentences in a US prison where he remains to this day. [3][6], The series features interviews with real persons involved in Camarena's life and death. There is too many ghosts behind me, Godoy told USA Today. At the offset, he stated that he did not believe in conspiracy theories and went on to paint a picture where Kiki was investigating CIA contract pilots around the time of his death. As a hero, he dedicated his whole life trying to right the wrongs that he encountered. This memoir is excellent!! Very interesting read! The DFS agents then took Camarena, blindfolded and held at gunpoint, to one of Caro-Quintero's haciendas five miles away. Your story resonates with me. Basically, justice is just that, a word. US probing claims that CIA operative, DEA official betrayal led to 10 Facts To Know About Dr. Michelle Oakleys Daughter. All Rights Reserved. The series showed those involved in the murder such as: See Also:Barbara Baekeland- Shocking Story Of Incest, Adultery, Murder- Everything To Know. Blood on the Corn: A DEA Agent is Tortured and Killed in Mexico Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2022. Kennedy was subsequently fired by President Reagan. On how he was able to bring a number of the alleged culprits, Bellerez had a budget of about $3 million with a team of 20 agents. ", At some point between 1981 and 1984, Harrison said, "members of the Mexican Federal Judicial Police arrived at the ranch while on a separate narcotics investigation and were confronted by the guerrillas. Having been stationed for anti-terrorist security measures in US embassies in Central and South America, Hector has seen quite a bit of the world. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-05-mn-131-story.html, On Feb. 9, according to the report, Harrison told DEA agents Hector Berrellez and Wayne Schmidt that the CIA used Mexico's Federal Security Directorate, or DFS, "as a cover, in the event any questions were raised as to who was running the training operation. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Full name: Hector Berrellez His killers were allegedly Mexican cartels and CIA agents. Walt From 'Narcos: Mexico' Is Based On Real DEA Agents - Bustle Former Drug Enforcement Administration agent James Kuykendall is suing Amazon Studios, along with those associated with its docuseries The Last Narc, for defamation as a result of his characterization on the show. An insight of the war on drugs from a perspective of those fighting it. At the time, Nazar Haro also was heavily involved in drug trafficking, witnesses in two U.S. trials have testified.