Also, Hector Berrellez has been dubbed an expert in terrorism, security protection, and threat assessment by the United States Government. Little by little, Hector Bellerez started to draw attention to himself when he led the arrest of several drug dealers. 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. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. When he wrote he shot him twice in the stomach. Each one of them pointed to the same man. A moving and deeply personal account of one DEA agents heroic efforts to bring the murderers of Kiki camarena to justice. The more you read about US agencies, the more you will be glad you don't live there.. Got this book after watching the Amazon Prime docu-series of the same name. I'm glad he was on our side. .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. ", "What's on TV Saturday: 'Seeing America With Megan Rapinoe' and 'The Last Narc', "Documentary alleges US involvement in 1985 death of DEA agent", "US probing claims that CIA operative, DEA official betrayal led to murder of agent: report", "The Last Narc release date, cast, trailer: When does the real Narcos documentary air? Berrellez begins his book I am a man who is haunted by the past. Please keep an eye on our site, as you'll be able to see all available options there! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Kikis body was quietly buried then all hell broke loose. Courtesy of Amazon Studios. Mika Camarena, in an interview with USA Today, also said U.S. prosecutors and agents told her that they are investigating accounts allegedly tying the DEA official and CIA operative to her husbands death, but did not elaborate. In April 1988, Honduran army officials along with US Marshals picked him up after his morning jog, then bundled him into an airplane and took him to the Dominican Republic. Few informants ended up losing their lives but he was able to have about 200 informants ready to be led to the United States to give accounts as witnesses. In 1974, he was arrested for drug possession there. [1][3], The Last Narc was produced by Eli Holzmann and Aaron Saidman. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Mums the word.. Drawing heavily from news accounts, they say in 1970 he was arrested in Dulles Airport with 25 kilos of cocaine. We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. He was retired CIA. Specifically, it says a CIA asset named Felix Rodriguez -- who famously claims to have presided over the capture and murder of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Bolivia in 1967 -- brought Matta Ballesteros to Mexico and introduced him to the Guadalajara Cartel for the express purpose of moving cocaine to the United States to fund the Contras. According to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sources and documents, the Mexican drug-trafficking cartel that kidnapped, tortured and murdered DEA agent Enrique Camarena in the central city of Guadalajara in February 1985 operated until then with virtual impunity -- not only because it was in league with Mexico's powerful Federal Security Directorate (DFS), but because it believed its activities were secretly sanctioned by the CIA. CONTRAS trained on Drug Lords Veracruz ranch. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? Date of birth: September 27, 1946 The boom is a very good reading. Anyone wanting the real story about Kikis murder should read this. One day, Hector spread 10 photographs across his desk and called in the witnesses one at a time. [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. All Rights Reserved. The research presented in this article is, in part, the result of a project funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC). When DEA narcotics agent Enrique Kiki Camarena was kidnapped and interrogated in 1985 by the leaders of Mexicos Guadalajara Cartel, it was like a party. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, No regrets. He was a natural fit for the investigation. 'The Last Narc' suggests CIA helped kidnap, murder DEA agent Thank you Mr. Berrellez for having the courage to share your story and speaking your truth. To my knowledge they were never confiscated, Berrellez said. Amazon has made a four-part docuseries about Kikis death, Hectors investigation, and the truth of what happened on that February day. The world needs more people like you. ", - Ed Heath, former Supervisor, DEA, Mexico, The truth about the 35 year-old murder of KIki Camarena had to be told. 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. San Diego U.S. Attorney William Kennedy disclosed in 1982 that the CIA was trying to block the case against Nazar Haro on grounds that he was a vital intelligence source in Mexico and Central America. Hector Berrellez is a stone warrior, whose astonishing life story took him from the barrios of Tucson to the killing fields of Mexico and the halls of power in D.C. and into the heart of darkness of the most notorious murder in the history of the Drug War. Berrellez was 42 at the time. The Proceso stories argue the CIA had a direct relationship to the Guadalajara Cartel via corrupt Mexican police, which appears, by all accounts, to be true. How a Dogged L.A. DEA Agent Unraveled the CIA's Alleged Role in the Amazon itself has not revealed whether the CIA had decided to cancel the series, or given any reason as to why the show is not currently available to stream. Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022. I can go on and on with this. It also opened the eyes of many authors and reporters to state that Bellerez may have more informants than the CIA. 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. In most cases, people expect new titles to be made available on streaming services at midnight on release day so what gives? 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. Hector Berrellez is one of the most decorated United States Drug Enforcement Agents of all time The 76 years old has a career as a book/screenwriter, technical advisor, and executive producer He helped in bringing to light the case of the murdered DEA agent Enrique Camarena and the alleged involvement of the CIA He started the security firm with his friend and former law enforcement official, Brandon Pender. It hasnt yet killed me, but it has debilitated me, seeping up and into my roots, poisoning me but keeping me alive. "[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. ", 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. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period. [1], The docuseries recounts the story of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena's investigation of Mexican cartel drug lords including Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo and Rafael Caro Quintero, his death at the hands of drug lords and the CIA, and the DEA relations that followed Camarena's death. One of the officers, George Godoy, said he spoke to DEA officials about the killing in April 2019 and that the U.S. government has given him and the other cops immunity in exchange for their accounts. His father was a bricklayer while his mother was involved in fortune-telling. He would go through different people he knew could be of help in Mexico ranging from law enforcement agents to the office of the attorney general. After the bombshell discovery, you might be wondering where Hector is at present. ", Renaissance Literary & Talent in conjunction with the proprietor (September 15, 2020). Hector made it his mission to expose what he discovered and how Kiki was and continues to be betrayed by those he trusted. His story also inspired the Netflix drama series Narcos: Mexico.. This story is 100% true and shocking in everything it states about the death of Kiki, and US justice. [5] [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. He was the perfect fit, but his investigation uncovered a horrendous CIA link, which forced Hector to reconsider how to progress with the case. The one in Luxembourg had $4 billion and the other one had even more.. No regrets. Specifically, the Show falsely claims that Plaintiff received bribes from the Cartel, that he was present at Cartel meetings where Camarenas kidnapping was planned, that he then aided and abetted the execution of that plan, and that he deliberately sabotaged the trial of one of Camarenas murderers by lying for the Cartel.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/07/16/trial-in-camarena-case-shows-dea-anger-at-cia/e91baa2d-7231-47c3-94f4-30196209ecd0/, The Last Narc has been canceled? Blood on the Corn: A DEA Agent is Tortured and Killed in Mexico Children: NA As a victim, he was betrayed by the very people who tasked him with fighting the societal evils that seem overwhelming. This story is 100% true and shocking in everything it states about the death of Kiki, and US justice. SOURCE: [Page: H2955] INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999 (House of Representatives - May 07, 1998) A Tangled Web: A History of CIA Complicity in Drug International Trafficking. As a government employee and a veteran myself. However, when people went to start watching the first episode on release day, they were met with a message saying the title was currently unavailable. The former DEA agent received training as a combat and field medic at the time of the Vietnam war that lasted from 1955 to 1975. Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox. DEA Agent Hector Berrellez: $8 Billion never seized from Drug - Reddit 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. He was 42 years old at the time and had worked in the DEA for more than 10 years. In July 2020, Amazon released a docuseries, a real story called The Last Narcabout the death of Kiki Camarena at the age of 37. 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. Market data provided by Factset. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, In separate interviews with the El Paso Times, Mexican authorities released Caro Quintero from jail, The court overturned this decision in early November, Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation: Drug Trafficking and the Law in Central America, the independent counsel Lawrence Walsh's report, eventually sentenced to multiple life sentences, International Development Research Centre, Colombia's New Security Policy Faces Challenges on Environmental Aims, Colombias Coca Market Crash Unlikely to Impact Cocaine Trade, InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports, Cocaine and Marijuana Fuel Ever-Higher Homicides in Costa Rica, Corruption Takes Center Stage in Paraguay Presidential Election, In Lara, Venezuela, Criminal 'Colectivos' Control Public Services. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Desperados: Latin Drug Lords, U.S. Lawmen, and the War America Can't Win, El Sicario: The Autobiography of a Mexican Assassin, Gringo: My Life on the Edge as an International Fugitive. Hector Berrellez: Bio, Wife, Children, Career, And - JukeBugs The money is used for black operations even Congress and the president are unaware of. Buy this book. But when Berrellez took over the investigation in 1989, what he uncovered was a tangled web of treachery and deceit. A ledger from the report shows the State Department paid $185,924.25 to SETCO between January and August of 1986, a year after Camarena was killed and Matta Ballesteros was a known suspect in the case. They gave them to us," Berrellez told Fox News. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. An insight of the war on drugs from a perspective of those fighting it. He would be reportedly tortured for about 30 hours and brutally killed in Mexico. Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2020. A year later he escaped from a Florida military holding facility and made his way back to Honduras where he began moving emeralds and drugs, among other illicit products. So, conspiracy theories aside, the record shows an indirect connection between the CIA and the Guadalajara Cartel via Matta Ballesteros and possibly a more direct connection via the Mexican police. Former DEA Agent Sues Amazon Studios for Portrayal in 'The - Variety The 37-year-olds body was found dumped on a nearby ranch about a month later. The details were sketchy -- reports of a CIA asset recording the torture session came via Mexican informants, for instance -- but the sources were strong. Hector remained with the DEA until 1996. After I watched Amazon's prime video regarding Hector's story, I bought the book. The ideas, thoughts and opinions contained in this document are those of the author or authors. The Last Narc was supposed to be his chance to reveal everything. 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Then a little further on whoever wrote this said his supervisor asked him why he shot the guy ten times. The most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. As you might expect, the conspiracy theories surrounding The Last Narcs suspicious unavailability quickly began swirling online. 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. Documentary alleges US involvement in 1985 death of DEA agent At this point, nothing would surprise me.. In 2013, Hector came forward, saying that he finally believed hed pieced together Kikis murder more completely. According to Charles Bowden and Molly Molloy's three-part story in the Medium publication Matter, Berrellez . 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. At the time, there was little the world knew about him until he joined the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Prized recruit. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. The case definitely opened new pages in the progression of time with different facts coming up. The person writing spoke of the first time he killed a man, shooting him twice in the stomach with a Good 1st person account. He was 42 years old at the time and had worked in the DEA for more than 10 years. The U.S. government, he explained, was unable to seize the accounts because of the banking secrecy laws in those countries. The person writing spoke of the first time he killed a man, shooting him twice in the stomach with a .357 magnum, until the clip was empty. The .357 magnum is revolver ammunition and the writer should have used the word cylinder. That bothered me. Meet Carmen Larbalestier And Anthony Hamilton, Maris Racal Has Forgiven Iigo Pascual - A Detailed Look At Her Love Life, Who Is Ernest Khalimov? Hector Berrellez is the DEA agent featured in 'The Last Narc'. They broke his ribs, drilled a hole in his head and tortured him with a cattle prod. And while the story is still percolating via Proceso, it has not picked up momentum in the United States for reasons that are clear: it is still thin. It is clear that hes led an exciting life. One of them cost Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro-Quintero $2.5 billion. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration. Rafael Caro Quintero escaped in a SETCO plane, piloted by a CIA Pilot. kidnap, torture and murder of undercover DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" 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. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact. The AK 47 uses 30 round magazines. The DFS agents then took Camarena, blindfolded and held at gunpoint, to one of Caro-Quintero's haciendas five miles away. 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. Buy this book. US intelligence present during DEA agent's torture 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. Berrellez was a career DEA man by the time he was handed the case. 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. 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). or redistributed. There is, however, little documentation to back up the claims of CIA involvement and the statements of the sources are not all rock solid. Many of the bodies showed signs of torture; the bodies had been drawn and quartered.". How Accurate Is The Narcos Series? DEA Agent Hector Berrellez - YouTube This page is not available in other languages. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. The US government continues to hold Hector in the highest regard, due to his expertise in threat assessment, security protection, and terrorism. 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. He was recognized by Knowing that there is a lot in his cart, he decided to explore other careers in writing and production known for The Last Narc: A Memoir by the DEAs Notorious Agent (2021) and The Devils Garden (2016), Personal Profile He maintains that the CIA functioned. Last Updated on April 28, 2022 by Stephanie, Biography and Early Life of Hector Berrellez, Tracing His Career From The Time He Was a Homicide Cop, Hector Reportedly Had Better Sources Than CIA and Led One of the Largest Investigations in DEA History, His Involvement in The Camarenas Murder Has Been Recorded in a Documentary, The Last Narc. He survived gunfights, assassination attempts and a deep state conspiracy. Its not the first time the American intelligence assets have been accused of having a role in Camarenas demise. The level of corruption he discovers in both Mexico and the US is shocking. [5] According to Berrellez, Camarena was killed because he was going to disclose these connections. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The lawsuit claims that the defendants acted with actual malice when producing and distributing the show, citing that they knew the series portrayal of Kuykendall to be false. As a government employee and a veteran myself. This memoir is excellent!! As well as trafficking his goods, the airline moved shipments for the State Department and the CIA, according to a 1988 congressional report (pdf). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The more Kiki expressed ignorance, the worse the torture. (AP). Hectors the CEO, and the firm looks to be secretive enough not to have a prominent online presence. A look at the publicly available documents shows that the US worked closely with at least one member of the cartel, but that it was not the infamous Mexican intellectual author of the murder. Greed is the catalyst of evil. The 1996 retired DEA agent has also featured in The Last Narc series a true story that gives an insight into the death of Camarena. MEXICO CITY, JULY 15 -- The trial in Los Angeles of four men accused of involvement in the 1985 murder of a U.S. narcotics agent has brought to the surface years of resentment by Drug Enforcement Administration officials of the Central Intelligence Agency's long collaboration with a former Mexican secret police unit that was heavily involved in drug trafficking. He is recognized as one of the most highest decorated Drug Enforcement Agent in the history of the bureau. However, his name was listed in the lawsuit of DEA agent James Kuykendall in his sue against Amazon studios for defamation of name in The Last Narc. 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. In the series, Berrellez claims his efforts were shut down by his DEA bosses after he pieced together details about the CIA's cocaine and gun operation. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Parents: NA CIA took it off, Hector reportedly said. Amazon has encountered an error. The Last Narc: A Memoir by the DEA's Most Notorious Agent From there he was flown to the US where the marshals officially arrested and charged him with the kidnapping and murder of Camarena. Hector Berrellez is the last narc in Amazons The Last Narc. By the early 1980s, the DFS also had gained a reputation as practically a full-time partner of the Mexican drug lords. The Justice Department reportedly started re-examining the case in 2019, two years after a federal court tossed convictions against two suspects. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Hector is a hero, and a victim. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Berrellez claimed that he saw with his own eyesthose accounts in electronic statements in 1995 while investigating the Mexican trafficker at the DEA headquarters. Testimony in Camarena murder blocked by judge Rafeedie, Witness Says Drug Lord Told of Contra Arms, ByHENRY WEINSTEINJULY 7, 1990 12 AMTIMES STAFF WRITER. This story has been shared 152,008 times. The mystery was how they got away with it. 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. 7 Shocking Facts About GigaChad, Chantal Cadieux: 10 Unknown Facts About Jean-Marc Valle's Ex-wife. Rafael Caro Quintero escaped in a SETCO plane, piloted by a CIA Pilot. 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. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Kuykendall asserts that the show bolsters its false narratives by relying on unreliable, discredited and unnamed sources. "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.'". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip. Heres all you need to know about his latest whereabouts. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Reading this book has put a lot into perspective for me. Your own government killed Camarena. The details of what really happened to Kiki remain difficult to access even today, more than 30 years later. Did the CIA Torture an Undercover DEA Agent for a Mexican Drug Cartel? As Camarena lay dying, Caro-Quintero ordered a cartel doctor to keep the U.S. agent alive. I went through an array of emotions while reading it. Please try again. ", "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. Besides this, the former DEA agent has also taken to writing. Matta Ballesteros was eventually sentenced to multiple life sentences in a US prison where he remains to this day. enforcement. 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.
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dea agent hector berrellez