Enrique Camarena (DEA Agent)
| Enrique Camarena Salazar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Kike" (Spanish), "Kiki" (English) |
| Born |
July 26, 1947 Mexicali, Mexico |
| Died | February 9, 1985 (aged 37) La Angostura, Mexico |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Marine Corps (1972-1974) Drug Enforcement Administration
|
| Years of service | 1972–1974 (U.S. Marine Corps) |
| Rank | Agent (DEA) |
Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 – February 9, 1985) was a Mexican-born American undercover agent for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who was abducted on February 7, 1985, and then tortured and murdered, while on assignment in Mexico. Camarena's nickname was "Kike" in Spanish, and "Kiki" in English.
From 1973–1975, Camarena served in the United States Marine Corps, after which he joined the DEA, at their Calexico, California, office. In 1977, Camarena moved to the agency's Fresno office, and in 1981, he was assigned to their Guadalajara office in Mexico. Camarena had also worked as a firefighter and police investigator before joining the DEA in Calexico.
In 1984, acting on information from Camarena, 450 Mexican soldiers backed by helicopters destroyed a 1,000-hectare (≈2,500 acres) marijuana plantation with an estimated annual production of $8 billion known as "Rancho Búfalo". Camarena, who had been identified as the source of the leak, was abducted in broad daylight on February 7, 1985 by corrupt police officers working for drug lord Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. Camarena was tortured at Gallardo's ranch over a 30-hour period, then murdered. His skull, jaw, nose, cheekbones and windpipe were crushed, his ribs were broken, and a hole was drilled into his head with a power drill. He had been injected with amphetamines and other drugs, most likely to ensure that he remained conscious while being tortured. Camarena's body was found in a rural area outside the small town of La Angostura, in the state of Sinaloa, on March 5, 1985 .
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