One week after submitting the (information) to OPR, the money laundering investigation was shut down.. "We tried to do something with a couple of people and they would come up with these wacko ideas about what they wanted to do," Murphy recalls. The third season introducedAmado Carrillo Fuentes, aka the Lord of the Skies, of the Juarez Cartel and Newman pointed outthat if and when the show goes to Mexico, the show will focus on the war moving closer to U.S. shores. (You can see photos of the real people behind the Narcos: Mexico characters here.) For years in the 1980s, Escobar made untold billions off trafficking cocaine into the United States from his native Colombia. "That really opened our eyes to the corruption that we were dealing with there.". Each murder was preceded by a request for their identity by an agent in Bogot.. He came back in 1999, where he overlapped with Pena, and until 2002 they were working against the North Valley cartel. He said, 'Yes, thats a possibility,'" he says. WebOne mystery that still remains is the murder of the sicario Navegante (Juan Sebastian Calero) on Narcos. Opening Statement, April 18, 2000 Narcos In reality, Salcedo was nowhere near the Pallomari capture. But when the informants got to the airport to leave for the U.S., they were arrested. Warning: Because the real story so closely tracks the fictional one, this article will contain spoilers for Narcos: Mexico. In addition to phone calls, where he says he mainly fielded questions to help solidify the timeline and accuracy of events,Stahl-David visited him at his home for several days. On the Netflix drug cartel series, the agent (played byMichael Stahl-David) pushes his boss Javier Pena (Pedro Pascal) to let him leave Bogota, Colombia so he and his partner (Matt Whelan) can hunt the four Cali godfathers on the ground. Working with the Colombian national police and navy forces, Feistl and the DEA stormed the 10th floor of Miguel's apartment hideout and arrested him just as he was getting into a celeta to hide. Moreover, cops like Pea felt unsatisfied by the fact that Escobar was now in prison after having surrendered on his own terms. The informants were imprisoned for nine months while the accusations flew back and forth. WebWatson, a 43-year-old Louisiana native, was killed after being dragged out of a taxi on his way home from a Bogot restaurant late last Thursday night after watching the NBA Six Colombians indicted in DEA agent's death in Bogota (Kent wrote his memo in late 2004 only after he became aware of the alleged corruption and then had exhausted other internal channels within DOJ for addressing the problems.). He worked locally. All Rights Reserved. This was obviously a big mistake on the part of the drug traffickers. "The blow must go on. There were ten to fifteen car bombs on a daily basis, Pea later said. During his final tour from 2004 to 2010, he worked on finalizing the dismantling of North Valley, as well as the a right-wing paramilitary group. BOGOTA, Colombia A DEA agent has died in an apparent robbery attempt in Colombia, U.S. Specifically, the narcotics traffickers in Colombia were infusing acrylic with cocaine and shaping it into any number of commercial goods, Kent states. Though he wasn't on the rooftop until after Escobar was gunned down (a photo of Murphy posing with Escobar's corpse is easily searchable), he was the only one with a camera before the media arrived. But the truth, like water, always brings the scum to the surface. Using routes hed established early in his career as a smuggler, Escobar began moving drugs fromColombia and into other countries, including the United States. As the informant left that meeting, he was murdered, Kent states. And while the show makes Pea and Murphy out to be the heroes of the story, Pea insists that it was the Colombian police who deserve the real credit. debuts Rise of the Cartels exhibition It is the series premiere. "So that would have put us on the ground in Cali going after these guys for two years and three or four months. He chose the drug business, he chose his greed and his ego over his family. Though Murphy says he has no respect for Juan Pablo ("Hes trying to save face for his family and create a better legacy than his father left behind"), he admits that his side of what the family had faced after Pablo's death was interesting. "Each one of them brought something to the table, which was pretty distinctive," he says. ), The information in that document is also corroborated by a number of other sources that spoke directly to Narco News, including former government officials who are familiar with the DEAs Bogot operations. A high school friend and congressman in California created what were called Camarena Clubs, and people across the country wore red ribbons to indicate they were rejecting drugs, an effort that drew the support of First Lady Nancy Reagan. Ernesto Don Neto Fonseca and Rafael Caro Quintero were other cartel leaders involved. Javier Pea, The DEA Agent Who Hunted Down Pablo WebIn the first season, ambitious DEA agent Kiki Camarena was killed for coming in too hard on the cartels. The agents who reported the allegations (of corruption) did so to correct wrongs committed by other members of the DEA and OPR, Kent states in the memorandum. The ending is a sad one, and what happened to Kiki Camarena would change the face of Mexican drug cartels forever and lead to the emergence of El Chapo. "In reality, Martinez and his son catch Escobar, but we liked the idea of killing Carrillo [Maurice Compte]. WebJavier Pena (1958-) was an American Drug Enforcement Agency agent and the partner of Steve Murphy. WebA location manager was shot and killed when scouting locations in the north of Mexico city for this last season 4. "The corruption was even worse in the military. I still have a job to do.'" WebAllegation Two:Bogot DEA Agents Imprison and Possibly Conspire to Murder Informants to Prevent Their Travel to U.S. A separate DEA group, also based in Florida, ran into Though some mystery remains around the deaths of the latter two (Chepe was believed to have been killed in a police shootout until a memoir detailed otherwise) the show shared its interpretations of the truth in its depictions. He also claimed that one of the targets of the FARC-related investigation was not involved in narco-trafficking even though the Bogot office had previously identified that individual as a narco-trafficker. DEA agent Steve Murphy joins the war on drugs in Bogota. ", The family did ultimately leave Colombia for Argentina. "She knew, just like his mother, what he was doing. After the first failed raid on Miguel, Feistl, as shown on Narcos, told Salcedo it was time to get out and that they would capture the godfather without him. The FARC (Spanish initials for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the largest leftist insurgent group in that countrys civil war, accused by U.S. officials of drug and arms trafficking) was supposedly interested in buying communications equipment from him. "A lot of people didnt know about the Cali cartel. Trujillo (Jorge Monterrosa), it is discovered, has been feeding Los Pepes information to aid in the hunting of Escobar and his men. It wasnt going after dope, it wasnt going after money. There were many hardworking, honest Colombian national police and military personnel that we worked with, but often times that information has to be briefed up and you never know who is hearing or receiving that information. FB.init("6fd1eea8d35df9c4bb8ba0035ab521a9"); Sign up for free email alerts list: Sources told Narco News that the informant is a wealthy Colombian businessman with investments in high-tech firms and ties to narco-trafficking. That was home, where he felt comfortable and knew people. Whats more, the police werent allowed anywhere near the prison. Why Narcos became such addictive viewing But if that is indeed the case, then why has Justice chosen to silence and punish the whistleblowers in this case rather than look into their claims? Kiki Camarena is the DEA agent who pays the ultimate price for trying to hunt Gallardo down. ", As for the photographs in which he and other members of the Colombian police are smiling while posing with Escobar's dead body, Murphy says,"The reason I was smiling is because we knew, effective that moment, every citizen in Colombia was safer simply because one man died. There was no way he was getting out of this one, right?". So after Escobar escapes, those guys weren't there.". There was also a standing bounty of $300,000 offered by Escobar for any DEA agent working in Colombia, including Pea. I thanked him numerous times for what he did, but I also told him that I dont know that I could have done what he did in that capacity. How Historically Accurate Is Javier Pena From 'Narcos'? Bulletin," "School of Authentic Journalism," "Narco News TV" and NNTV WebEnrique " Kiki " Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 February 9, 1985) was an American intelligence officer for the United States (DEA). Part of the reason it was so hard to catch Escobar was that he was willing to kill anyone who came after him. As a result, Feistl, who is now retired, returned to Cali to meet up with the Narcos team for several days to show them the ropes. After this look at Javier Pea, find out why Escobars cousin Gustavo Gaviria may have been the real brains behind the cartel. ", As for the Narcos storyline that shows Pena having a relationship with Don Berna, the agent says he was fine with the drama: "We never crossed that line, but that's what makes the show exciting and interesting.". When confronted with the actual tape that confirmed the informants story, the agents in Bogot complained that what the informant and DEA group from Florida had done was illegal and they would be unable to obtain the informants release (from prison).. He agreed and thats how that first meeting transpired. Feistl adds, "All of those things contributed to them then contacting me to give them a little bit of background on Cali.". The (Bogot) agent was unable to dissuade those involved in the investigation, and it finally took off with the assistance of the NSA, the memo states. In March 1985, the DEA recovered the body of Kiki Camarena, 37, who left behind Mika and three children named Enrique, Daniel, and Erik. I explained that anything with addresses, phone numbers, bank accounts, any links to different countries or in the United States were all useful.". Eventually, they did and used him as an asset andPallomari, too, is now in U.S. witness protection. On the series, Gilberto agrees, as long as she hands over all of her assets. Pablo Escobar is then shown in the wilderness, where a group of Colombian police who are frozen with fear simply let him pass. Newman has said the storyline was fictionalized (though Escobar did predecease his father, who was a farmer and estranged from the family) and Murphy says they weren't sure of his whereabouts at that point in the timeline. The real Steve Murphy and Javier Pena discuss what is true and what is fiction, and shed insight on Season 3. I hated to see Maurices character get killed, but it was very exciting. The season two finale set up a return for Pena, even though both of the real agents indicated they weren't involved in the real hunt for Cali. The Times noted that the bodies appeared to have been tortured and were found near a ranch in Michoacan state. Pena left in October 1994. Fed up with the danger, she took the pair's adopted daughter and abruptly flew back to the United States. Javier Pea stands near a Colombian National Police helicopter. Here, Murphy and Pena take THR behind some of the biggest moments of the second season and delve further into a story that, despite its infamy, still had detailsthat were only now brought to light. "The violence thats depicted is all true: Pablo and his people are some of the most violent people to ever walk this earth," he said about experiencing similar feelings. The streamer has yet to comment on the status of Holbrook's Murphy, however, and both Murphy and Pena couldn't comment on their future involvement with the series when speaking to THR. During the course of an investigation into a Colombian narco-trafficking operation, a group of DEA agents in Florida had zeroed in on several targets, with the help of several Colombian informants. 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WebPortuguese products available Online we mail to all lower 48 states. ", Pena adds of Escobar's final days: "He was running out of money and he was running out of time. Given the pretense that defines the war on drugs, Kents memorandum (which basically rewrites the script of that war) is not likely to be a hot seller in Washington, D.C., anytime soonabsent pressure from a major media blitz. Will they step up to the plate on this story, given their penchant for adhering to the standard drug-war script? Special Agent James Terry Watson, ET. We are helping law enforcement get the word out about drugs to our youth, parents and schools., Kiki Camarenas son, Enrique Camarena is now a judge in California after serving as a deputy district attorney for years. JESUS ABAD-EL COLOMBIANO/AFP/Getty Images. He has been transferred to Nashville, according to sources familiar with the memorandum. You would look at it for hours and say there was nothing there, unless you took the shelves out and were able to manipulate some things that were there and get access to the door, which only opened from the inside. Kent is no longer with the Washington, D.C.-based wiretap unit of NDDS. When Pachoeventually surrendered in 1997, that's when Feistlleft Colombia. Most of the major events in the show are accurate, although the writers changed some of the timelines. If we can put them together with the Public Integrity Section, they assured me that other agents who have to this point remained silent for fear of retaliation will come forward. After the death of money launderer Franklin Jurado (Miguel Angel Silvestre), viewers never see what happens to his widow, Christina (Kerry Bishe). He started to smuggle car stereos and home appliances. Those American tourists in the restaurant that we see get killed in the show were assumed to be DEA agents by Rafa. he recalls. Such a debriefing, based on what I learned in a few hours, would take days. Newman also said little was known about Victoria "Tata" Escobar (Paulina Gaitan) at the time. When the informant approached the DEA once again with information, writes Kent, the Bogot agent that traveled to Washington, D.C., now claimed that the informant was a pedophile. Narcos has moved on from its original setting of Colombia from the late 70s through to the early 90s and instead will focus on the rise of the cocaine cartels in Mexico from the mid-80s. I had a limited time frame in which to speak with them and ask questions. A DEA agent in Bogot, it turns out, had told Colombian officials to lock them (the informants) up and throw away the key, according to Kent. Sources told Narco News that these corruption allegations involve cases launched in 1999 or 2000, but which resulted in investigations that carried on for months or years. how to know past life through astrology; does nomberry sell authentic items ", Murphy (played by Boyd Holbrook) and Pena (played by Pedro Pascal) are the two agents responsible for taking down Pablo Escobar. Colombian police and military forces storm the rooftop where drug lord Pablo Escobar was shot dead just moments earlier during an exchange of gunfire between security forces and Escobar and his bodyguard. "When Connie read that her character was going back to Miami, she got upset," Murphy recalls. Lenny Jacobson and Mika Camarena attend the Netflix Original Series Narcos: Mexico, special screening at LA Live in Los Angeles, CA on November 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. WebSpecial Agent James Terry Watson died after being stabbed in a taxi in Bogota, Colombia, on June 20. To assist in producing the exhibition, the Mob Museum enlisted former DEA agents whose work in Colombia and Mexico in the 1980s and 1990s is dramatized in the Narcos series. What she was able to tell me was that he was a guy that just wanted to do good. It was just revenge because of all the cops he had killed, along with all those innocent people. While the Florida agent was out on leave, the Bogot agents set up a meeting with one of the informants. Feistl's history in Colombia provides some hints as to what the show would tackle if it stayed in Colombia, namely by turning its eye to the No. I wanted to find out what made the guy tick, and I did a lot of research and thank God I spoke with Mika (Camarenas wife), he told Newsweek. That person (the narco-trafficker) is also a DEA informant, the memorandum states, and is believed to have been controlled by the Bogot Country Office. Zavala was helping Camarena in his undercover operations, The LA Times reported. Fesitl was part of the extradition team and was present when Gilberto and Miguel were sent to the U.S. in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and that was his last interaction with the pair. In the end, Javier Pea and his team tracked Escobar down in his hometown of Medelln in 1993 through use of technology that allowed them to trace his phone calls. Wikimedia CommonsAuthorities pose with Pablo Escobar just after this death. (Remember that all of these allegations come strictly from the Kent memo, though law enforcement sources have corroborated much of this information on condition of anonymity.). The second season opens with the above words from narrator Steve Murphy as played by Holbrook. (The 1999 charges were dismissed, according to a BBC News report, and not much is known about her life beyond that point.). During the second raid, Feistlsays the opposite happened if they had waited another minute, Miguel would likely still be a free man, thanks to their knack for building impossible-to-spot hiding places. He was shot three times: in the leg, torso and fatally in his ear. Once the targets were identified as being part of the drug ring, they began to cooperate with the Florida-based agents. Thats one of the messages he tries to portray.". The bathroom had its own jacuzzi. We never crossed that line, but thats what makes the show exciting and interesting, Pea said. Well just send everything that we have through Mexico.' Escobar shot at the police, they returned fire, and Escobar was killed. "Michael would also call me while he was down there and we would talk over certain parts of the script. The kidnappings were a common things. In the beginning of season two, Connie Murphy (played by Joanna Christie) left Steve Murphy behind in Colombia. Indirectly, they (the CIA) have got to take some of the blame. He alleged the CIA protected the DFS for decades, and stated, The DFS just got out of hand., Kiki Camarena Death: The Real Story of the DEA Agents Murder, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. (The DEA is part of the larger Justice Department. We need to make sure we get him out.' At one point he even tells his wife, "He has to know my name!" Two guys on a motorcycle, thats the way they killed a lot of people.. Narcos Mexico Season 1 Finale "Often times, we said intel came from a different source and if we had a human source giving us good information, we would disguise it. "When Escobar surrendered, many of the original Search Bloc guys got foreign assignments, which is what everybody aspires to, as a reward. This guy got the deal of a lifetime from the government of Colombia. WebThe real-life 'Narcos' agents who helped bring down Pablo Escobar say their anger toward the notorious drug lord has not faded after 25 years - and painted a bleak picture of the blackie escobar nelson hernandez "What matters is that he was killed," he says. "At that point in time, Jorge was barricaded up inside of his house with his wife and family for fear they were going to come looking for him to try to kill them," says Feistl. There is much more to that phone conversation as to where and how we meet. Narco News: Leaked Memo: Corrupt DEA Agents in WebBest Known For: DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena were lead investigators in the manhunt for Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. He was assigned to the DEA unit in Cartagena and was on Actors Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook (top) who portray agents Pea and Murphy, respectively. He soon couldnt understand why everyone seemed disappointed by Escobars surrender until he discovered the type of prison that Escobar had in mind for himself. So when you walked back in, it looked just like a dresser. The agent says he and his partner knew Salcedo was legitimate when they witnessed first-hand how members of the Colombian national police would tipSalcedo off that the Rodriguez hideouts were about to be raided. He saw the possibility and the signs of an empire being builtthis narcotics empireand he wanted to put an end to it because he saw what it could possibly become..