Enrique Camarena

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate November 2001

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Enrique Salazar Camarena Enrique Salazar Camarena, also known as "Kiki", was born on July 26, 1947 in Mexicali, Mexico. At the age of nine Camarena moved to the U.S. and settled in Calexico, California. He worked in the fields with his family picking plums and peaches. Camarena yearned to get a proper education and soon it came. He took advantage of this opportunity and became an ethical student. He played football, basketball and helped publish the yearbook. Camarena was voted "Best all Around Senior." He decided to attend college and enter the law enforcement field. Camarena served in the U.S. Marines, and became a Legal Clerk and a Court Recorder. In 1970, Camarena departed from the Marines and worked with the Calexico Fire Department. Camarena became a part of the Calexico Police Department as a Criminal Investigator in 1970, while he attended Imperial Valley College. There he got an AA degree and criminal justice degree.

Camarena was sent to the El Centro, California Police Department Office and became a Narcotics Investigator for the Imperial County.

In 1874, Camarena join the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). Camarena was a talented Drug Enforcement Special Agent. Camarena and family were transferred to an undercover investigation in Guadalajara, Mexico. In Guadalajara, his mission was to stop the Caro-Quintero Organization. Caro-Quintero, at the age 32, was the main leader of the wealthy organization.

Camarena was about to conclude his case when he was captured during his lunch hour. It was the afternoon of February 7, 1985 when Camarena didn't come home so his wife contacted his close friend, who then reported the kidnapping to the U.S. law enforcement officers. There was a vast amount of law enforcement officers sent to search for Camarena. There were a lot of people worried but no one was able...