Family of Calexico Native Kiki Camarena Sues Sinaloa Cartel Decades After His brutal Murder

Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a Calexico High School graduate born in Mexicali, dedicated his career to fighting drug trafficking as a DEA agent. In 1985, while investigating cartel operations in Mexico, he was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered—a crime that sparked international outrage and led to a major crackdown on drug cartels.

Now, nearly 40 years later, Camarena’s family is taking legal action against the cartel responsible for his death. On Thursday, his widow, children, and siblings filed a lawsuit in a California federal court against the Sinaloa Cartel and three of its top leaders—Rafael Caro Quintero, Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo, and Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. The lawsuit, made possible after President Donald Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization in January, seeks to hold them accountable for Camarena’s murder.

Caro Quintero, believed to have orchestrated the crime, was captured in 2022 after years on the run. Fonseca Carrillo and Félix Gallardo remain imprisoned in Mexico. The lawsuit represents a significant legal step in the family’s pursuit of justice, aiming to set a precedent for other victims of cartel violence to seek damages in U.S. courts.

Former top Mexican drug cartel boss, Rafael Caro Quintero, under custody at the "Puente Grande" prison in Guadalajara on January 29, 2005.

Who was Enrique “Kiki” Camarena?

Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was a dedicated DEA agent whose work in drug enforcement left a lasting impact on the fight against narcotics trafficking. Born on July 26, 1947, in Mexicali, Baja California, he was raised in Calexico, California, where he attended and graduated from Calexico High School. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Camarena pursued a career in law enforcement, first as a police officer in Calexico and later as a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was assigned to the DEA office in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he investigated the growing influence of powerful drug cartels. His work led to major disruptions in cartel operations, including the discovery of Rancho Búfalo, a massive marijuana plantation linked to cartel kingpins. However, his success made him a target.

On February 7, 1985, Camarena was kidnapped in broad daylight by cartel operatives working with corrupt Mexican officials. Over the course of several days, he was brutally tortured before being killed. His body was later discovered in a shallow grave, sparking international outrage. In response, the U.S. launched “Operation Leyenda,” one of the largest DEA-led investigations in history, which ultimately led to the arrest of several cartel leaders responsible for his murder.

Camarena’s death became a symbol of the dangers faced by law enforcement in the war on drugs. His legacy continues through Red Ribbon Week, an anti-drug awareness campaign established in his honor, which is observed annually across the United States.