DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena

On Thursday, February 7, 1985, at 2:00 p.m., Special Agent Enrique Camarena left the American Consulate in Guadalajara to meet his wife, Mika, for lunch. Known to his friends as "Kiki," Special Agent Camarena had been in Mexico for four and one-half years on the trail of Mexican marijuana and cocaine drug traffickers. Kiki was due to be reassigned in three weeks because he had come dangerously close to exposing the top leaders of a multi-billion drug pipeline.

As Kiki walked to his truck, he was approached by five men who shoved him into a beige Volkswagen. One of the men threw a jacket over Kiki's head, and the driver sped away. Kiki never saw his wife or his family again.

This is the story of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. He was born on July 26, 1947, in the small town of Mexicali in Baja California . Kiki moved with his family in 1956 to Calexico, California. After he graduated from High School, he joined the Marine Corps. When he was discharged from the Marines, he worked as a fireman for the City of Calexico and attended Imperial Valley College, where he earned an Associates degree. Kiki joined the Calexico, California Police Department in 1970, and then later he was assigned to El Centro, California, where he worked as a Narcotics Investigator for Imperial County.

Kiki became a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1974. He was very concerned about the drug problem in this country, and he wanted to make a difference by helping the people that he cared about. His family knew that being a Special Agent could be very dangerous. His mother even tried to talk him out of it. But, Kiki told her no. He said, "Even if I'm only one person, I can make a difference." And that is what he did - in life and through his death.

When Kiki was abducted in Mexico, he was tortured and brutally murdered by drug traffickers. His badly beaten body was recovered nearly one month after he was kidnapped. Kiki's wife Geneva "Mika" Camarena mourned the loss of her husband. Kiki's children Enrique, Daniel and Eric mourned the loss of their father. And the nation mourned the loss of a hero.

Kiki gave his life in the fight against drugs, and the public wanted to do something to remember the ultimate sacrifice that he paid. Soon after Kiki's death, people everywhere started wearing Red Ribbons to symbolize their commitment to help reduce the demand for drugs in their communities. The act of wearing Red Ribbons took on national significance and grew into what is now known as the Red Ribbon Campaign.

Today, Red Ribbon Week is celebrated annually in October in cities throughout the nation. During Red Ribbon Week, children and adults all over the country wear Red Ribbons, take pledges, and participate in activities that show that they are committed to leading a drug-free lifestyle. And during Red Ribbon, we remember Kiki, the man who wanted to make a difference and whose legacy still lives on.