Hector is a hero, and a victim. The four-part series, released in July, tells the true story of Enrique Kiki Camarena, a special agent with the DEA, who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1985. In the earliest years of his career, Bellerez served as a homicide cop. Citizenship: Mexican 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. He was recognized by the U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese for heroism. Launched by the DEA after the gruesome 1985 abduction, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena by Mexican drug cartels, Leyenda was meant to find those responsible. "According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (sic), 'SETCO Aviation is a corporation formed by American businessmen who are dealing with Matta and are smuggling narcotics into the United States.'". One of those arrested was Rafael Caro-Quintero. It's been canceled forever and it's a cover-up and they don't want the truth to come out., Hi there. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating explosive new allegations that a Central Intelligence Agency operative and Drug Enforcement Administration official played a role in the 1985 abduction,. Odee Perry: Life, Death, What Is The Shocking Truth About His Murder? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Matta Ballesteros' nexus with the Guadalajara Cartel eventually caught up with him. Market data provided by Factset. 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. [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. Informants told Berrellez that Kiki was stripped to his jockey shorts, blindfolded and subjected to torture-filled interrogations that were captured on audiotape. Interest inthe case revived in August whenMexican authorities released Caro Quintero from jail12 years before the end of his sentence. The research presented in this article is, in part, the result of a project funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The Justice Department reportedly started re-examining the case in 2019, two years after a federal court tossed convictions against two suspects. Nevertheless, 23 sources were murdered over the course of the investigation. Supervisor and Special Agent, with thirty years extensive experience in counter terrorism and narcotics enforcement. Its good that Berrellez states early on that other people did some of the polishing and editing, because whoever did, know nothing about firearms. But there was one proof, it ended up becoming one of the biggest investigations in the history of DEA. ", 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. The official trailer was also removed from the Amazon Prime Video page. He investigated a fellow agents murder and uncovered more than he bargained for. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. [9][10], On December 21, 2020 James Kuykendall, former chief of a DEA field office in Mexico, sued Amazon and the makers of the documentary for falsely claiming he was complicit in the murder of Kiki Camarena. Basically, justice is just that, a word. They broke his ribs, drilled a hole in his head and tortured him with a cattle prod. At the time, Nazar Haro also was heavily involved in drug trafficking, witnesses in two U.S. trials have testified. In a statement to Fox News, the CIA vehemently denied the story, and previous investigations into Iran-Contra and CIA dealings in the region have not included the Guadalajara Cartel. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating explosive new allegations that a Central Intelligence Agency operative and Drug Enforcement Administration official played a role in the 1985 abduction, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique Kiki Camarena, a report claims. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Your story resonates with me. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. [7], The Daily Beast reviewed The Last Narc favorably, calling it a "a wide-ranging expose about the entangled relationship between the CIA, the Mexican government, the DFS (Mexicos secret police, created by the CIA) and the cartels. The mystery was how they got away with it. As a government employee and a veteran myself. enforcement. The 37-year-olds body was found dumped on a nearby ranch about a month later. However, the cartel leader would later be released before the FBI would list him as a wanted man with a $20 million reward for his capture. While all the emphasis is on Caro Quintero's and possibly the CIA's starring roles in Camarena's death, the real protagonist of this part of the story is the Honduran drug trafficker Matta Ballesteros and his company SETCO -- the only formally established links between the Guadalajara Cartel and the CIA. However, the assertion that the CIA presided over the murder of a DEA agent seems -- with the documents that are publicly available now at least --more conspiracy theory than reality. The killing was a result of Camerenas investigation that led to the Mexican Army destroying a marijuana plantation worth billions and he was also close to exposing that the CIA was working with the cartels. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Whether or not this was the case, DEA and Mexican officials interviewed for this article said that at a minimum, the CIA had turned a blind eye to a burgeoning drug trade in cultivating its relationship with the DFS and pursuing what it regarded as other U.S. national security interests in Mexico and Central America. The undated file photo distributed by the Mexican government shows Rafael Caro-Quintero. As part of this far-fetched narrative, the Show falsely and despicably accuses Plaintiff Kuykendall of complicity in the murder of his close friend and fellow agent, the lawsuit read. The suit alleges that Russell and Amazon representatives spoke with Kuykendall while the show was in development and despite Kuykendall demanding the show not be published due to its falsity, proceeded regardless. All rights reserved. The lawsuit states that the series hinges on a lurid conspiracy narrative that purports Central Intelligence Agency agents and other U.S. officials secretly conspired with the cartel to traffic drugs into the United States so that the proceeds could be used to fund the Contras then fighting the Communist regime in Nicaragua. DEA Agent Hector Berrellez: $8 Billion never seized from Drug Lord who Killed DEA Agent Enrique KIKI Camarena. The DEA and Camarena had been utilizing a series of wiretaps to make sizeable drug busts inside Mexico. Hector has kept his marital life private but in his career, he is currently a certified polygraph examiner and established an international investigation and executive security firm, SPI Group Inc. Those last two factors set off alarm bells for Berrellez, now 74. US intelligence present during DEA agent's torture At this point, nothing would surprise me.. The most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. enlightening take on the futility of the war on drugs, Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022. "[2], According to the Florida-based CE Noticias Financieras, The Last Narc "is notable" for approaching the story of Camarena's death beyond the ordinary patriotic narratives of the US and Mexican government. 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. Impact of Illicit Fentanyl Felt on Both Sides of US-Mexico Border, InSight Crime Staff Cited as Experts by International Media, Media Looks to InSight Crime for Ecuador Knowledge, The Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory Continues to Be a Benchmark in the Region. 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. DEA agent Hector Berrellez in The Last Narc. The level of corruption he discovers in both Mexico and the US is shocking. The report -- which came from the so-called Kerry Committee Report, named for then Senator and now Secretary of State John Kerry who led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's inquiry into US support for the Contras -- adds that other US agencies knew of SETCO's role in trafficking drugs. His networks reached to the top of the Honduran military, who helped him kidnap and kill his former partners-turned-rivals, Mary and Mario Ferrari, in 1977. / holy$$$$!" Hector Berrellez is a former D.E.A. [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. [2] The docuseries interviews the DEA agent who spearheaded the investigation of Camarena's death. Prior to its release, the documentarys director, Tiller Russell was said to have made 14-year of research about the murder and would live in fear of his life. Hector Berrellez is a former D.E.A. Kiki was asked questions he could not answer. When he wrote he shot him twice in the stomach. [2][3][4], In the telling of Camarena's wife and former DEA agents Phil Jordan and Mike Holm, Camarena cost the cartels billions of dollars when his investigations led the Mexican Army to burn down Rancho Bfalo, a major marijuana plantation. Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at. (AP), LARA LOGAN CONFRONTS ALLEGED MEXICAN CARTEL DOCTOR ACCUSED OF TORTURING DEA AGENT. Age: 76 years old They were blasted out of their minds, doing cannonballs on his chest, anally penetrating him with a broomstick, putting out cigarettes on his skin.. In 1985, the colonial city was the base for most of the major narcotics traffickers. This story is 100% true and shocking in everything it states about the death of Kiki, and US justice. Kiki was reportedly nabbed near the American consulate in Guadalajara, at the behest of Rafael Caro Quintero and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, partners in the cartel. 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. I couldnt set this book down. The DFS agents then took Camarena, blindfolded and held at gunpoint, to one of Caro-Quintero's haciendas five miles away. 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. In January of 1989, Hector was chosen to lead Operation Leyenda. "Director of Amazon's 'The Last Narc' had a gun pulled on him during filming", "Did the CIA Torture an Undercover DEA Agent for a Mexican Drug Cartel? All rights reserved. The Central Intelligence Agency trained Guatemalan guerrillas in the early 1980s at a ranch near Veracruz, Mexico, owned by drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, one of the murderers of U.S. drug agent Enrique Camarena, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration report made public in Los Angeles. Berrellez was a career DEA man by the time he was handed the case. A prosecution witness in the Enrique Camarena murder trial testified Friday in Los Angeles federal court that Mexican drug lord Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo told him that he believed his narcotics trafficking operation was safe because he was supplying arms to the Nicaraguan Contras. Also watch the last narc on prime, both are really good. He was the perfect fit, but his investigation uncovered a horrendous CIA link, which forced Hector to reconsider how to progress with the case. From there, the trafficker made his way to Costa Rica where he was captured and sent back to Mexico. Berrellez retired in 1996. But it also reconstructs the Matta Ballesteros story to fit its narrative. In the series, Berrellez claims his efforts were shut down by his DEA bosses after he pieced together details about the CIAs cocaine and gun operation. The story connecting Mexico's infamous Guadalajara Cartel to the United States' top spy agency in the 1980s is not fiction, even if the assertion that the agency helped kill a US drug agent probably is. At first glance, they seemed like wild assertions: in October, the Mexican magazine Proceso and Fox News, based on interviews with two former agents and a former contractor, said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had executed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985, after Camarena discovered the agency's plan to finance the CIA's proxy army in Central America, the Contras, using illicit drug funds. As a result, Camarena was murdered because he had discovered, and was about to expose, the conspiracy. From there he was flown to the US where the marshals officially arrested and charged him with the kidnapping and murder of Camarena. We as a society can stop it if we join together, United. Kennedy was subsequently fired by President Reagan. I can go on and on with this. 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). I feel like we were all betrayed, he told The Post, referring to himself and his informants. Your story resonates with me. I went through an array of emotions while reading it. In January of 1989, Hector was chosen to lead Operation Leyenda. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. ", "The CIA's Deadly Drug-Running Operation", "Former DEA Agent Sues Amazon Studios for Portrayal in 'The Last Narc' - Variety", "James Kuykendall v. Amazon Studios LLC et al", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Narc_(TV_series)&oldid=1144200904, This page was last edited on 12 March 2023, at 11:07. He has also been working with Brandon Pender, his long term friend, and business associate. The Last Narc was supposed to be his chance to reveal everything. The boom is a very good reading. [5][3] Russell has kept his location a secret, fearing for his safety. This memoir is excellent!! 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Copyright 2023 Distractify. According to the most complete account of his life in Julie Marie Brunck and Michael Ross Fowler's "Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation: Drug Trafficking and the Law in Central America," Matta Ballesteros worked his way from petty street thief in Tegucigalpa to contraband and drug trader. the U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese for heroism. Further along the writer said he was an OCS graduate, while concurrently a combat medic. Then, the person writing for Berrellez states later on he went through two 60 round clips firing an AK 47. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. The AK 47 uses 30 round magazines. It hasnt yet killed me, but it has debilitated me, seeping up and into my roots, poisoning me but keeping me alive. The U.S. government, he explained, was unable to seize the accounts because of the banking secrecy laws in those countries. 4 stars because there are some small issues, like inconsistencies of the text with itself, typos and other. - Tiller Russell , Film Director, THE LAST NARC Series on AMAZON, Hector was an old-school, dedicated and fearless lawman. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The author gives us a quick but good read a story on the various aspects of his career, our nation, our neighbor, and his personal journey. When he passed out, a cartel-connected physician injected his heart with reviving pharmaceuticals. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, How to watch 'Citadel': Everything to know about Prime Video's new series, Here's how to watch Prime Video's spooky new thriller series, 'The Rig', Here's how to watch Prime Video's adorable new documentary 'Wildcat', Watch Chloe Grace-Moretz in "The Peripheral" on Prime Video tonight, Forget about 'Sharknado' 'Sharkcano' is a real thing, Woman has 'loud, full body orgasm' in the middle of LA concert, All the red carpet highlights and star-studded fashionfrom the Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala, Bride killed, groom seriously hurt by drunk driver just minutes after leaving reception, Ed Sheeran: 'I'm done' if plaintiffs win in Marvin Gaye 'Let's Get it On' copyright lawsuit, Inside Met Gala 2023: See celebs let loose at extravagant dinner, Pregnant Rihanna arrives fashionably late in blooming white gown at Met Gala 2023, Internet Daddy Pedro Pascal shows off short shorts on Met Gala 2023 red carpet, Met Gala red carpet: Live updates of all the celebrity outfits. "The CIA was the source. The US government continues to hold Hector in the highest regard, due to his expertise in threat assessment, security protection, and terrorism. One day, Hector spread 10 photographs across his desk and called in the witnesses one at a time. His name was Felix Rodrguez. As a victim, he was betrayed by the very people who tasked him with fighting the societal evils that seem overwhelming. Barbara Baekeland- Shocking Story Of Incest, Adultery, Murder- Everything To Know, Lewis Hamiltons Siblings: Meet His Brother And Two Sisters, Who Is Nicolas Hamilton? Lara Logan confronts alleged Mexican cartel doctor accused of torturing DEA agent, FLASHBACK: A look at DEA agent 'Kiki' Camarena's murder. He had to pay a number of the informants $10,000 monthly. The statute that established the CIA forbids it from carrying out law enforcement activities. Although Quintero, Carrillo and others were arrested by Mexican authorities for their involvement by the time Berrellez began to investigate, he believed that it went deeper perhaps to the CIA. Amazing insight on not only the investigation, but also to the man conducting it! .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. Hector Berrellez was the agent in charge of the investigation. Hector took his leave as one of the most decorated DEA agents in the history of the organization, and has since then, become a highly sought after Certified Polygraph Examiner. The highest decorated DEA agent in history, Hector Berrellez sits down to discuss what happened to kidnapped CIA agent Kiki Camarena. The money is used for black operations even Congress and the president are unaware of. Plumlee claimed he had flown Caro Quintero to Guatemala after the murder because, according to the former contractor, he was "protected" by the White House. Greed is the catalyst of evil. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-07-mn-149-story.html, Informant Puts CIA at Ranch of Agents Killer, ByHENRY WEINSTEIN JULY 5, 1990 12 AM TIMES STAFF WRITER. Meet Sosie Bacon: The Newest Cast Member on Narcos: Mexico', 'How to Fix a Drug Scandal's Kris Foster Might Still Be in Legal Trouble. I fell down a rabbit hole and ended up here, devouring every last punctuation mark of this look into the life of a Bad Ass. Nicknamed The DEAs Elliot Ness, Hector Berrellez became a man who was bent on creating a society with less crime, especially as related to drugs and terrorism. Its not the first time the American intelligence assets have been accused of having a role in Camarenas demise. Actually conducting the interrogation. (AP). Meet Carmen Larbalestier And Anthony Hamilton, Maris Racal Has Forgiven Iigo Pascual - A Detailed Look At Her Love Life, Who Is Ernest Khalimov? Supervisor and Special Agent, with This story has been shared 396,071 times. In most cases, people expect new titles to be made available on streaming services at midnight on release day so what gives? He is now on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to his capture. This page is not available in other languages. And is credited for his handling and solving of the The cartel had his body dug up by a crew of guys, including El Chapo, who specialized in such work and left Kiki where he could be found.. Berrellez begins his book I am a man who is haunted by the past. It is clear that the exact circumstances and details surrounding Kikis death have still not come to light, and after spending several years of his life, Hector hasnt managed to get to the bottom of it either. [5] According to Berrellez, Camarena was killed because he was going to disclose these connections. Kikis body was quietly buried then all hell broke loose. Hector and Brandons agency can also be contacted for executive protection. or redistributed. Digging amidst the web of lies in Mexico, Hector ended up finding much more than he hoped for. The Last Narc on Amazon Prime narrates the tale of how DEA agent Kiki Camarenas death exposed the conspiracy that extended from Mexicos drug cartels to the hallowed halls in Washington DC. Hector Berrellez in 'The Last Narc' (Amazon Studios) Mexico's second-largest metropolis, Guadalajara, is known for its sunny weather, tequila and mariachi music. By April 1994, Berrellez was removed from the. ", - Ed Heath, former Supervisor, DEA, Mexico, The truth about the 35 year-old murder of KIki Camarena had to be told. On November 2, Proceso followed up with a story drawing from a public event in which other former DEA agents confirmed the connections between the CIA and members of the cartel but denied assertions the agency was involved in Camarena's murder. From Colombia, he made his way back to Honduras where despite the international warrant for his arrest, he enjoyed a very public life. Please try again. His father was a bricklayer while his mother was involved in fortune-telling. Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022. On February 7, 1985, DEA agent Enrique Kiki Camerena was abducted. It conveys the impression that you are actually there. He was a natural fit for the investigation. Date of birth: September 27, 1946 Its good that Berrellez states early on that other people did some of the polishing and editing, because whoever did, know nothing about firearms. Shortly thereafter he became the key bridge between the Guadalajara Cartel and the Medellin Cartel.He bought large tracts of land and set up companies in Honduras, among them SETCO. However, this is inconsistent with what's known about Felix Rodriguez's and Matta Ballesteros' histories. As a hero, he dedicated his whole life trying to right the wrongs that he encountered. Watch the series. The series alleges a corruption so deep that Mexicos then-president, Miguel de la Madrid, received kilos of cocaine as gifts from traffickers. Spouse: NA He started the security firm with his friend and former law enforcement official, Brandon Pender. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold. His body wasnt found for nearly a month. Our work is costly and high risk. We are sorry. This would lead to his becoming a highly decorated American Drug Enforcement Agent who served as a DEA Supervisor and Special Agent for 30 years until his retirement in 1996. [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. The agent, Hector Berrellez, states that the CIA agent Flix Ismael Rodrguezhelped torture Camerena to learn what Camarena knew about US connections to Mexican cartels. 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. The world needs more people like you. An insight of the war on drugs from a perspective of those fighting it. "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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Then the torture continued. He spoke Spanish, had done extensive undercover work, and had even spoken with Kiki over the phone on numerous occasions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Hector was stunned when he heard that, Russell said of DEA special agent Hector Berrellez, who would later try to learn exactly what happened to Kiki. Was the Mexican cartel . Please use a different way to share. Three former Mexican police officers who claimed to have once worked as security guards for cartel kingpins told USA Today they informed U.S. investigators that a DEA official and CIA operative were present at meetings where Camarenas abduction was being discussed. No regrets. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2021. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? Each one of them pointed to the same man. Caro Quintero had billions of dollars stashed in secret bank accounts in Luxembourg and in Switzerland, former DEA agent Hector Berrellez told me in a telephone interview. In 1985, after the Camarena murder, the government disbanded it in an effort to root out corruption and repair Mexico's image. We want to sustain Latin Americas largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources. Great read! How Will Ovidio's Arrest in Mexico Affect Sinaloa Cartel and the Fentanyl Trade? Hector made it his mission to expose what he discovered and how Kiki was and continues to be betrayed by those he trusted. debbie harwood husband,
Does Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey Have Drops,
Ford Falcon Fiberglass Body Parts,
Ssi Dynata Final Interview,
Vegetative Stage Week By Week Pictures,
Contingency Table Of Categorical Data From A Newspaper,
Articles D
