He says the Mexican attorney general's office devotes 61 percent of its budget to the drug war, and that 25 percent of Mexico's Army is assigned to drug interdiction.ĪS for the Camarena murder, Petricioli notes that 25 people were convicted in Mexico for crimes related to his death and that of his Mexican pilot, Alfredo Zavala. His 13-month-old government has seized 36 tons of cocaine - more than was seized in the past 10 years.Īmbassador Petricioli notes that 44 Mexican narcotics agents were killed in the line of duty since Mr. Ironically, Mexico's current president, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, is praised by US agents for going after traffickers. It depicts torture by Mexican police, destruction of evidence by top-level investigators, payoffs to officials in Mexico City, and government sanctions for drug trafficking. The program portrays an appalling web of government corruption in Mexico. Lloyd Siegel, executive producer for special broadcasts at NBC News, says: ``We do not accept the charge that there were any inaccuracies or inconsistencies'' in the reporting. Petricioli says: ``We strongly reject such statement.'' He demands: Where is the proof? In every part of the country there is a local Noriega, a comandante, a general, a governor getting rich by dealing with Colombian cartel drug bosses to bring cocaine to the US through Mexico.'' The ambassador singled out one statement as ``slanderous.'' It said: ``Mexico is just like Panama. Petricioli called the news commentaries, hosted by NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw, ``the product of sheer ignorance, imprecise, unfair, lacking of any evidence, and, maybe, in bad faith.'' Mexican officials, including Ambassador Petricioli, were particularly incensed by news segments at the end of each program. It portrayed collusion between drug criminals, police, and high-ranking government officials in Mexico in the Camarena murder and the subsequent coverup. The program created a great deal of controversy in Mexico. Based on the book ``Desperados'' by reporter Elaine Shannon, the movie described the 1985 murder of Enrique (Kiki) Camarena, an agent of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 7, 8, and 9, and was watched by an estimated 23 million Americans. The program, ``Drug Wars: The Camarena Story,'' was broadcast Jan. He denounced implications that his countrymen were failing to combat drug traffickers. Gustavo Petricioli, the Mexican ambassador to the US, contends that the NBC miniseries reflected ``sheer ignorance'' of his country. Mexican businessmen, worried about the corrupt image of their nation portrayed on the broadcast, took out full-page ads in three major American newspapers this week to laud Mexico's antidrug campaign. Mexican officials, fuming about the NBC movie, say they are looking into charges that the American agent - depicted as a hero - was actually in league with drug traffickers in Mexico. The precursor to "Traffic".Great Film.AFTERSHOCKS are rumbling through Mexico and the United States in the wake of a six-hour TV miniseries depicting the kidnapping, torture, and murder of an American drug agent. Based on Elaine Shannon's book and "Time" magazine article, "Desperados". A tight cast portray the investigation into the kidnapping, torture and cover up of Kiki Camarena. Miguel Ferrer,Tony Plana, Elizabeth Pena and then 24 year old, Benicio Del Torro also star. Nelson (wonderful performance by the way). At the head of the investigation was agent Camerena, played by Steven Bauer along with Jaime Kurkendall,portrayed by Craig T. Filmed on location in Spain, "Drug Wars" is a powerhouse film depicting the role of the DEA in Mexico in 1985 that led to the unveiling of drug corruption within the Mexican government. It was the second most watched NBC mini-series of the year following "The Kennedys". Acclaimed director, Michael Mann of "Miami Vice", "Heat" and "The Insider" was Executive Producer of this 1991 Mini-series directed by Brian Gibson. A great film based on DEA agent, Enrique"Kiki" Camerena of Calexico California.
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