Pena tells THR the realMoncadawas a "major force behind Los Pepes" and that they were told Don Bernawas an informant working with the Search Bloc, authorized by the then-Attorney General. You can read about him here. "Because of those little subtle differences, that really made them mesh and gel and work together very well as a team. The problem is the wall was so thick that we broke two or three drill bits and we ran out of drill bits. His focus was Cali during his first tour from 1994 to 1997, leaving shortly after Pacho's surrender. Six ELN members and associates charged with narco-terrorism and international cocaine distribution conspiracy Drug Enforcement Administration Daniel C. Comeaux Special Agent in Charge Houston @DEAHoustonDiv September 21, 2020 Contact: Sally M. Sparks Phone Number: (713) 693-3329 For Immediate Release The narco-traffickers, crooked cops, and thieving politicians in the drug war are always over there, in Latin America, and elsewhere, and U.S. law enforcers and government officials are always the good guys battling these forces of evil. Dont get involved and stay away from this kind of life. "The MedellinCartel was the Wild Wild West and Cali was businesslike," explains Pena. "The corruption was even worse in the military. "It was so well-constructed and so well hidden, that had he gotten into it, we would still be looking for that caleta," he says of the "phenomenally well-made" closet built into the closet in the master bedroom. Ambassador Michael Betrayed by Don Berna (Mauricio Cujar), the narco is shipped off to the United States and Pena's plan to bring her on as an informant is foiled in the season finale. The bottom line: Gallardo went way too far by targeting Camarena. To maintain his hold on the cocaine trade, Escobar had to make it clear that he would kill anyone who crossed him, including judges and government officials. Eventually, the informant was released from prison and tried to start working with the Florida agents again, but an agent from the Bogot office traveled to Washington, D.C., and managed to convince DEA brass to derail the investigation. "She actually talked to Eric [Newman] about it and said: 'Ive just got one bone to pick with you, I would have never left my husband there!' As of now, Feistl says he has not yet had any talks about working with Narcos for season four, but that it would "make sense" for them to go to Mexico. Kiki was surrounded by five armed men who threw him into a car and sped away. Since Pena this season was a composite of other real-life characters (the real Pena wasn't involved in the hunt for Cali), Feistl says he experienced such frustrations. ), After Escobar's death on Dec. 2, 1993, Murphy and Pena were approached to bring their story to Hollywood. Narcos previously had the real Javier Pena and partner Steve Muprhy (portrayed by Boyd Holbook) consulting on the two-season story of Pablo Escobar and when the show shifted its focus to Cali, Pena and Murphy recommended the showrunners reach out to Feistl. English. Then, learn about the bloody campaign that Escobar and Los Extraditables waged against Colombias extradition treaty with the United States. Of Juan Pablo's theory that the shot was self-inflicted with Escobar's semiautomatic pistol, which was found next to his body, Murphy explains:"I saw Pablo up close and I have photographs of him. Worst of all, he continued to run his operation. But through it all, Escobar always seemed to stay one step ahead. Season two of 'Narcos' takes place in the early 1990's, around the same time of Escobar's death. You have to understand, the search for Escobar was purely revenge. Thats where his stronghold was and given his situation, I cant imagine he would leave that area. (The pair also have not one but two adopted daughters from Colombia. 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. "Pablo really was a manipulator. But when the informants got to the airport to leave for the U.S., they were arrested. Bienvenidos en Espaol! ", Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. So the North Valley cartel thought, 'Hey, I can avoid extradition. ", 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.". Once the targets were identified as being part of the drug ring, they began to cooperate with the Florida-based agents. Feistl met him twice in the U.S., once for the NPR podcast and a second time during a meeting with the Narcos team ahead of the season. Sources told Narco News that the informant is a wealthy Colombian businessman with investments in high-tech firms and ties to narco-trafficking. Kiki Camarena, the DEA agent that Dr. Delgado is accused of helping torture in Narcos Mexico Season 2. Escobar's son, Juan Pablo, details the days after his father's death in his book, Pablo Escobar: My Father. The finale of the second season re-created the kingpin's final moments during a rooftop shootout in Medellin, Colombia. When Netflix began filming a series based on Escobars life, they reached out to Agents Pea and Murphy to serve as consultants. Getty ImagesActors Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook (top) who portray agents Pea and Murphy, respectively. As the show explains, the Rodriguez brothers are serving out life sentences in North and South Carolina prisons,Pacho Herrera was murdered in his Palmira prison and Chepe Santacruz Londono (Pepe Rapazote) was killed shortly after escaping his Bogota cell by paramilitary groups. While this investigation eventually ended up in the hands of the National Security Agency, from the beginning it appeared to be related to drug trafficking and the Florida DEA agents decided to investigate. Pena had a long But Escobar found his true calling in contraband. ", He also downright rejects the notion that Escobar was truly devoted to his family:"Fortunesays hes worth as much as 30 billion dollars. But what happens when evidence surfaces that turns that script on its ear? WebJavier Pena (1958-) was an American Drug Enforcement Agency agent and the partner of Steve Murphy. They agreed to reveal the names to me on the condition that I not further disseminate these for the time being. So thats how I know he didnt commit suicide. He was assigned to the DEA unit in Cartagena and was on She dedicates her time to promoting drug awareness in schools and communities nationwide.. ", Pena adds of Escobar's final days: "He was running out of money and he was running out of time. "So that would have put us on the ground in Cali going after these guys for two years and three or four months. [Laughs. ", The narrative decision did surprise Murphy, who said the writers did a "wonderful job. November 16, only on Netflix. "Thats a question and always a mystery thats been asked for a long time, is," he says. "With this one, you had to pull the four or five drawers out from the built-in dresser and that would access the back door so you could swing the door open, get into it, lock it from the outside and then someone on the outside would put the drawers back in. By 1985, which is when Narcos: Mexico roughly starts, he was extremely close to unlocking a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline, the DEA says. There was also a standing bounty of $300,000 offered by Escobar for any DEA agent working in Colombia, including Pea. Carrillo's death, in episode four, is my favorite, I hope it really surprised people. Camarena received many awards and is considered an American hero. He started to smuggle car stereos and home appliances. WebIn the acclaimed series Narcos, DEA Agent Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) narrates how he and his partner, Javier Pea (Pedro Pascal) waged a years-long campaign against Chilean drug chemist Cockroach brings his product to Colombian smuggler Pablo Escobar. While Pena was her DEA contact on the show, Feistl said he never had dealings with Christina and has "no idea" about what he involvement was after Franklin's death or her status now. Moreover, cops like Pea felt unsatisfied by the fact that Escobar was now in prison after having surrendered on his own terms. It is only a matter of time before this thing explodes. Actor Michael Pena, who played Kiki in Narcos, researched the role of Kiki Camarena for Narcos: Mexico in part by speaking with the agents widow. In other words, someone outed the Florida groups informant, making him into a target for many dangerous people including the FARC guerrillas, and the tool used to expose him was proprietary DEA information that appeared to have come out of the Bogot DEA office. "Jorge was getting real-time information from the police or military while this raid is technically in progress," he says. 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. "We tend to say he was a Robin Hood guy because he took some of his ill-gotten gain and helped the poor, but thats all fantasy," he says. It was his end, and his new cartels end, and it was El Chapos beginning (the eventual drug lord is first seen in the beginning of Narcos: Mexico in all his humble beginnings as a driver for a Sinaloan drug lord). The DEA agents in Florida looked further into the source of that information and followed the trail to several other DEA informants. , Click here for more from Narco News on The Bogot Connection, A document obtained recently by Narco News, narco-trafficking and arms dealing at the highest levels, Enter the NarcoSphere to comment on this article. The book tells the story of Salcedo, who is now in U.S. witness protection, and Feistlalso served as a source. 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. We never really knew who we were dealing with and who we could count on and trust. He has been transferred to Nashville, according to sources familiar with the memorandum. ", Murphy arrived on the scene with Colonel Hugo Martinez, head of the Search Bloc, and says the Colombian national police are the true heroes: "They were the guys that we worked with who would keep us alive and theyre the ones who told us what happened. He said, 'Yes, thats a possibility,'" he says. 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. 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. As the informant left that meeting, he was murdered, Kent states. On the show, Feistl's inner torture of catching Miguel but also keeping Salcedo's"rat" identity a secret is something that is well-captured. One mystery that still remains is the murder of the sicario Navegante(Juan Sebastian Calero) on Narcos. In Narcos: Mexico, Mika Camarena is depicted as a loyal and loving wife to DEA agent Kiki Camarena. After news of Narcos' two-season renewal, Newman said the third season will focus on Escobar's successor, the Cali Cartel. ", "We went from Pinzon, who was basically an obstacle for us, toMartinez. A lot of innocent people. Eventually, they did and used him as an asset andPallomari, too, is now in U.S. witness protection. (The DEA is part of the larger Justice Department. Informants working for the Florida agents sent samples of the cocaine-laced acrylic to the DEA, but the agencys chemists couldnt figure out how to extract the cocaine. "Javier and I were manning the 1-800 number but people would call in with all kinds of tips because there was a $500 reward on the table," he says. Agents from the Bogot office promised to help, one of them assuring the Florida agents that the informants release from prison could be arranged. Bulletin," "School of Authentic Journalism," "Narco News TV" and NNTV Feistl is described as being the more serious of the two and a young agent who sought out assignment to Colombia as the drug trade shifts to Cali. 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. "Ultimately, our investigation into all the Cali godfathers never really stopped until many, many years later, but I guess the point there would be Pacho Herreras surrender in September of 96," saysFeistl of the godfather who was portrayed by Alberto Ammann. "Pacho was very young when they sent him to New York to set up that distribution outlet there. "Juan Pablo writes that they were trumped-up charges and says they were dismissed." According to Kent, these offices which are supposed to serve as watchdog agencies that investigate corruption sabotaged investigations being carried out by the Florida DEA agents and by one of the OIGs own agents. Trujillo, who is based on a personwhose name has been changed, is also the Colombian cop who ends up pulling the final trigger on Escobar in the season finale. He agreed and thats how that first meeting transpired. In the 1970s and 1980s, Pablo Escobar held the country of Colombia in an iron grip as he and his Medelln Cartel terrorized the nation with a wave of killings and constant bombings in support of their drug trade. I dont believe what he says, so I dont know if its true or not. Part of the reason it was so hard to catch Escobar was that he was willing to kill anyone who came after him. The implosion of Guadalajara led to the rise of the Sinaloa cartel, led by Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who is now in U.S. custody. Kiki received two Sustained Superior Performance Awards, a Special Achievement Award and, posthumously, the Administrators Award of Honor, the highest award granted by DEA, the DEA says. Kent says his claims are supported by a number of DEA agents in Florida who the agency muzzled and retaliated against after they tried to expose the corruption. "We found the caleta in the bathroom and drilled several holes in the wall. He chose the drug business, he chose his greed and his ego over his family. "Once that was over, I think he looked for a way out and realized: once you get in, you cant get out. The show includes a whole new cast starring Michael Pena (DEA agent Kiki Camarena) and Diego Luna (the boss Flix Gallardo). But the Pea of the show was also depicted as an agent not above breaking the law in order to complete his mission. "The blow must go on. 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"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. Escobar himself quickly became one of the richest men in the world. 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. Judy Moncada (Cristina Umana) was a major player in the alliance of enemies who formed to take down Escobar, until her own partners took her out. (You can see photos of the real people behind the Narcos: Mexico characters here.) It was ironic and very coincidental that he was killed that day that we went to pick up Pallomari and bring him to Bogota.". "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. His misrepresentations were backed by another agent in Bogot, Kent states.