Enrique Camarena

Enrique Camarena (1948-1985) was a Mexican who became a famous undercover agent for the DEA.

In 1972, the then 24 year old young man joined the United States Marine Corps, where he served for two years. Then, he joined the DEA at their Calexico, California office. In 1977, Camarena moved to their Fresno office, and in 1981, he was assigned to the agency's Guadalajara office. Camarena also worked as a fireman and police investigator before joining the DEA in Calexico.

Camarena's work became famous all over the United States and Latin America before he died. He infiltrated drug trafficking bands and successfully helped break up many of them. He managed to keep his face off the newspapers and other media despite the fact his name was well known.

One of the drug trafficking groups he was trying to break up was able to identify him as an undercover agent, and he was kidnapped, and subsequently, shot to death in 1985. Although his body was found on March 5, he may have been killed about one month before that: patologists who examined his body believed the actual date of death was more likely around February 9.

Camarena's legend grew even more after his death: several movies about him were produced in Mexico, and, in November of 1988, Time Magazine had him on their cover.

He received numerous awards while with the DEA, and, after his death, he posthumously received the Administrator's Award of Honor, the highest award given by the organization. In Miami, the DEA hosts a yearly golf tournament named after him.