They kept us alive when we were out doing operations, Pea said. Descenso Javier Pena - Narcos, DEA Agent & Stephen Murphy Javier Pea stands near a Colombian National Police helicopter. 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. Kent alleges that one of the corrupt agents from Bogot was caught on a wiretap some time in 2004 discussing criminal activity related to the huge right-wing paramilitary group known as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC in its Spanish initials). ", 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. US reexamines murder of federal agent featured in WebBest Known For: DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena were lead investigators in the manhunt for Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. "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. 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. 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 Fed up with the danger, she took the pair's adopted daughter and abruptly flew back to the United States. 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. You can read about him here. According to El Pais, Camarenas skull, And it was during the time where there was a lot of killings, the assassinations of cops, the car bombs. "The corruption was even worse in the military. Camarena received many awards and is considered an American hero. While the Florida agent was out on leave, the Bogot agents set up a meeting with one of the informants. In season 2, an enraged DEA jacks up its efforts to dismantle the cartel and get cartel figures to prosecution, even going so far as abducting a doctor accused of being affiliated with the cartel and assisting in Camarenas death. Narcos: Real DEA Agent Chris Feistl on What Season 3 Eventually, they did and used him as an asset andPallomari, too, is now in U.S. witness protection. We need to make sure we get him out.' ", Though Narcos is a dramatization, Newman toldTHR the series is 50-50 when it comes to fiction and nonfiction, and that they stick to the true chronology of events. Those agents have additional evidence not in the files maintained by OPR and OIG. They changed their names but shortly after, their identities were discovered and Tata was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Narco News is supported by: 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. There is much more to that phone conversation as to where and how we meet. We put a lot of pressure on and it was that relentless pressure that we later learned is what really got him killed.". So Javier Pea soon began working with Search Bloc, a special division within the Colombian police led by Colonel Hugo Martinezwhich was formed from the most trusted officers within the police. He could have watched his children grow up. They were more sophisticated and very different cartels. DEA AGENT ATTACKS COLOMBIA AS 'NARCO How much of 'Narcos' Season 3 really happened? "He said, 'Im not going anywhere. 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. ELN members and associates charged Details: citywinery.com Don Berna was at the base [the Colombian National Police WebThe DEA Agent Has A Compelling Real Life Story Entertainment Agent Pea Is Just Like His 'Narcos' Character IRL by Caroline Gerdes Sep. 16, 2015 While watching the newest Now retired, he ended his career in Phoenix working on cases impacting Mexico, Arizona and the southwest border that were aligned or affiliated with the Sinaloa cartel. 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. The penultimate episode sees Escobar retreating to his father's farm. Steve Murphy - Narcos, Wife & Javier Pena - Biography Newman also said little was known about Victoria "Tata" Escobar (Paulina Gaitan) at the time. And he protected his enterprise with terror and murder. Zavala was helping Camarena in his undercover operations, The LA Times reported. Tickets: $28-$38. "Thats a question and always a mystery thats been asked for a long time, is," he says. "The only stipulation Javier and I have is: Whoever we do this with cannot in any way glorify Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel," Murphy recalls telling showrunner Eric Newman during a dinner in Washington, D.C. "We just hit it off. Obviously, that list is very, very short. WebSpecial Agent James Terry Watson died after being stabbed in a taxi in Bogota, Colombia, on June 20. After news of Narcos' two-season renewal, Newman said the third season will focus on Escobar's successor, the Cali Cartel. The real Chris Feistl discusses what is true and what is fiction, and sheds insight on Season 4. Thats how the North Valley tried to defeat, in their minds, extradition. So how closely does the Netflix version of Javier Pea match up to the real one? NARCOS: MEXICO Official Trailer "Agent Kiki Camarena" (HD) Michael Pena Series, SUBSCRIBE for more TV Trailers HERE: goo.gl/TL21HZ He gave his life for his work. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The memo further claims that, rather than being simply a few bad apples who need to be reported to their superiors, these allegedly dirty agents are being protected by an ongoing cover-up orchestrated by watchdog agencies within the Justice Department. Amazingly, Gallardo was only recently sentenced in the death (hed been sentenced before but a retrial was ordered; he never left prison after 1989, though). The fact that Narco News is breaking this story first may tell us all we need to know on that front. Newman said he did not contact the brothers about the show. Season two of 'Narcos' takes place in the early 1990's, around the same time of Escobar's death. 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. You have 24 hours to leave Colombia. When a gun is held close to any part of your body and a bullet is fired, little pieces of gun powder come out. But the OPR mysteriously ordered the polygrapher not to report on the test: He was instructed (to say) that the test never took place.. Getty ImagesActors Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook (top) who portray agents Pea and Murphy, respectively. They made startling revelations concerning DEA agents in Bogot, Kent writes. "It took us quite a bit of time to locate Pallomari and assist him in getting out of the country," he says. As the informant left that meeting, he was murdered, Kent states. BOGOTA, Colombia A DEA agent has died in an apparent robbery attempt in Colombia, U.S. The drug war is supposed to follow a very clear script: According to the official screenwriters, the U.S. justice system is pitted against corrupt players in foreign countries who are trying to flood American streets with illicit drugs. But Escobar found his true calling in contraband. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. debuts Rise of the Cartels exhibition Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. 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. Gallardo was sentenced to 37 years in 2017 for the death of Camarena by a Mexican court (as well as the murder of Alfredo Zavala, a Mexican pilot), according to The Times. How much of 'Narcos' Season 2 really happened? Wikimedia Commons1977 mugshot of Pablo Escobar. "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. When he got there it was like, 'Wow, Hes here to take care of business.' On Oct. 12, with filming of the third season underway in Colombia, Netflix confirmed Pascal's return with a season-three photo. Steve subsequently fell into a downward spiral when abandoned by his family, overcome with emotion from a simultaneous realization that he might be the only "good guy" left. He was about to expose the operation when he was kidnapped on February 7 while he went to have lunch with his wife, Mika. As promised, I am providing you with further information on the allegations and evidence that is already in files at OPR and OIG. WebJune 21, 2013 / 12:51 PM / AP. 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. 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. Each murder was preceded by a request for their identity by an agent in Bogot.. For how much longer will nations in Latin America and around the world accept U.S. drug warriors imposing presence in their lands, when those same agents and bureaucrats get neck-deep in the very drug trade they are supposedly trying to wipe out, with complete impunity and protection from their superiors back home? Narcos Mexico Season 1 Finale 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. 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. Camarena opens the show in a scene that shows hes been abducted. Kiki is also shown confronting Felix in the streets for no good reason. Feistlarrived in Cali mid-1994, about six months after Pablo Escobar was gunned down and Cali had taken over. In later years, some have argued that Mexican operatives working for the CIA were involved in Kiki Camarenas death, according to El Pais. ", "We went from Pinzon, who was basically an obstacle for us, toMartinez. Escobar himself quickly became one of the richest men in the world. "She was benefiting from all the illegal things her husband was doing," he says about Tata, who was 15 when she married 24-year-old Pablo. The tape recordings that revealed this damning information were turned over to both the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Office of the Inspector General, Kent states in the memorandum. The problem is the wall was so thick that we broke two or three drill bits and we ran out of drill bits. Industries Crime and Terrorism "The blow must go on. When he surrendered, it was like we lost him. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. "[My partner] and I were looking for a way into the cartel and Jorge was looking for a way out of the cartel. DEA agent killed in Colombia during apparent robbery "Each one of them brought something to the table, which was pretty distinctive," he says. Theyre well-versed, it was pretty neat working with them.". Ironically, the NDDS chief to whom Kent addressed the memorandum, Jodi L. Avergun, is now the chief of staff for DEA. Hes been in custody since 1989, however. The book tells the story of Salcedo, who is now in U.S. witness protection, and Feistlalso served as a source. ", Though Fesitl balks at their self-described label of being "gentlemen," he does admit that it is rare for a group of cartel bosses to not betray each other. What happens if proof emerges that it is the U.S. justice system that is corrupt? For us that was great because heres a can-do guy and our ambassador at the U.S. embassy was a can-do guy, so all of the pieces just fell into place for us to move forward. But the truth, like water, always brings the scum to the surface. Eventually, the pressure on Escobar from authorities grew so great that he actually decided to surrender, but on a condition: He should get to build his own prison. Narcos Stephen Murphy (civil servant) - Wikipedia he recalls. The informant who was identified as the narcotics trafficker with several agents on his payroll was eventually brought to Florida to take a polygraph test on the allegations that he was obtaining classified documents from agents in Bogot and elsewhere., Kent says that the narco-trafficker passed the lie detector test in Florida, at which he was asked whether agents had passed him classified documents and he claimed that they hadnt. 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. A full investigation of his allegations may well prove that the DEAs Bogot office is clean as a whistle. 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. "Once that was over, I think he looked for a way out and realized: once you get in, you cant get out. In February 1985 Camarena was With the walls closing in and only his driver, Limon (Leynar Gomez), left alive, he knocks on the elder Escobar's door and enjoys an extended stay with his estranged parent. It was just revenge because of all the cops he had killed, along with all those innocent people. But the Pea of the show was also depicted as an agent not above breaking the law in order to complete his mission. Law enforcement sources tell Narco News that a number of other high-level officials within Justice and the DEA soon received copies of the same memo. Born in 1948, Pea was raised in Texas before joining the DEA. On the show, the character is The Fund for Authentic Journalism, All contents, unless otherwise noted, 2000-2011 Al Giordano, The trademarks "Narco News," "The Narco News WebEnrique " Kiki " Camarena Salazar (July 26, 1947 February 9, 1985) was an American intelligence officer for the United States (DEA). Eric took it in good stride. The informants were imprisoned for nine months while the accusations flew back and forth. Their attempts to do so led to retaliation. Kiki Camarena is the DEA agent who pays the ultimate price for trying to hunt Gallardo down. Well just send everything that we have through Mexico.' Trujillo (Jorge Monterrosa), it is discovered, has been feeding Los Pepes information to aid in the hunting of Escobar and his men. As the season progresses, more than one of the "good guys" reveal themselves to be in cahoots with Los Pepes, the death squad led by right-wing vigilantes theCastano brothers. They only travel a short distance, a few feet, but it strikes the body and leaves whats called powder burns. After Dec. 17, 1997, extradition was in play in Colombia for Colombia nationals who committed crimes after that date. His focus was Cali during his first tour from 1994 to 1997, leaving shortly after Pacho's surrender. Colombia extradites 7 accused of killing DEA agent But when the informants got to the airport to leave for the U.S., they were arrested. 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. When Netflix began filming a series based on Escobars life, they reached out to Agents Pea and Murphy to serve as consultants. The kidnappings were a common things. "We never signed him up as a DEA informant, but he was at the base and I could always tell there was something weird," he says, adding that after Escobar's death, Don Berna went on to become a trafficker and is now in prison in the United States. The real Steve Murphy and Javier Pena discuss what is true and what is fiction, and shed insight on Season 3. In this document, Department of Justice attorney Thomas M. Kent claims that federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administrations office in Bogot, Colombia, are the corrupt players in the war on drugs. The Bogot agents seemed obsessed with stopping the informant from working with the Florida agents, and began doing everything in their power to prevent the investigation from moving forward. And what of the mainstream-media guardians of our liberty? 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. 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.