The 1985 murder of a DEA agent still haunts Mexico. Finally, a drug lord gets sentenced in the case

[Judi Lynn]

Patrick J. McDonnellContact Reporter
AUGUST 24, 2017 3:00 pm REPORTING FROM MEXICO CITY

He was known as el padrino — the godfather — and, as co-founder of the once-dominant Guadalajara drug cartel, Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo reigned over Mexico’s multi-billion-dollar narco-commerce with all the ruthlessness and aplomb of the fictional Don Corleone.

The former street cop and bodyguard turned-drug kingpin counted police commanders and politicians among his protectors and supplicants.

But eventually, Gallardo went too far. The international outrage following the 1985 murder in Mexico of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, eventually led to the fall of Gallardo and his close associates and the splintering of their nationwide criminal network.

The fallout of Camarena’s murder — and the unraveling of Gallardo’s cartel — continues to be felt in Mexico to this day, influencing law enforcement, politics and how modern cartels operate. Even though Gallardo was arrested decades ago, the case hit the news again this week when a Mexican federal court sentenced Gallardo to 37 years in prison for the murder of Camarena and a Mexican pilot, Alfredo Zavala.

More:
http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-gallardo-20170824-story.html

[SunSeeker]

1. Wow. That murder was 37 years ago. Wheels of justice sure turn slow in Mexico.

Glad Gallardo finally got sentenced. Hope they manage to keep him locked up.