The Department of Justice is now handing over recordings of the torture and killing of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena by the Guadalajara Cartel in 1985.
The development comes as part of the legal proceedings against one of the founders of the cartel, Rafael Caro Quintero, as he faces drug trafficking charges in the U.S. after being taken there from Mexico. He stands accused of taking part in the torture and killing of Camarena.
The Guardian noted that the tapes have never been made public and that there has long been controversy over their content, even though transcripts were made public in 1988. The outlet noted that some involved in the investigation of the murder have speculated about the possibility that a former CIA agent was present in the interrogation.
Camarena, a Mexican-born U.S. naturalized citizen, managed to infiltrate the Guadalajara cartel, one of the first transnational criminal organizations in the country. The cartel was led by Caro Quintero and Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, who together oversaw the trafficking of marijuana and cocaine to the United States.
After tipping off U.S. and Mexican authorities about the location of key cartel locations, including a 2,500-acre plantation in Chihuahua, Camarena was kidnapped in Guadalajara. He was tortured for over 30 hours and finally murdered, his body later found in a rural area in Michoacan.
The killing sparked a diplomatic clash between the U.S. and Mexico, with the former accusing the latter of helping the cartel. The U.S. launched "Operation Leyenda," the largest DEA homicide investigation ever carried out. Mexican authorities ended up arresting Caro Quintero in 1985 in Costa Rica. Felix Gallardo was apprehended four years later. The story was brought back to the spotlight in the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico."
The show's second season delved deep into the events surrounding Camarena's murder, bringing the brutal reality of the 1980s drug trade to a new generation of viewers. Caro Quintero, portrayed by Tenoch Huerta in the series, emerged as a central figure in this dark chapter of history.
Caro Quintero was extradited to the U.S. in February following an agreement with the Mexican government, and is now held in a U.S. prison. His first appearance before a court in New York was marked by symbolism, as he wore the handcuffs that belonged to Camarena. They were given to authorities by the son of Camarena, also named Enrique, now a judge in California.
The charges against Caro Quintero are sweeping and severe. He stands accused of leading a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to murder, international drug distribution, and firearms offenses related to drug trafficking.
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