Crime

Declassified Memo Points to High-Level Corruption in 1985 Murder of DEA Agent Camarena

The U.S. Department of Justice released declassified documents linking Mexico's former Secretary of the Interior, Manuel Bartlett Díaz, to drug traffickers involved in the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kike" Camarena.

Mexicanist

Sep 26, 2024 — 5 min read

Declassified files hint that Manuel Bartlett’s connections to the Guadalajara Cartel go deeper than just rumors.

Nearly four decades after the gruesome murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a fresh set of declassified documents from the United States Department of Justice has ignited controversy, pointing to the potential involvement of high-ranking Mexican officials in the tragic event.

Among these figures is Manuel Bartlett Díaz, Mexico's Secretary of the Interior at the time, who is now facing renewed allegations of corruption and complicity in shielding drug traffickers. The case, once shrouded in secrecy, now has fresh momentum as these documents cast a spotlight on the murky ties between Mexican politics and the Guadalajara Cartel, which was responsible for Camarena's murder.

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