ICE deports convicted felon tied to 1985 murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena Salazar

A man involved in the 1985 kidnapping and murder of a Drug and Enforcement Administration agent was deported to Mexico this week after serving three decades in prison, authorities said Thursday. 

Bernabe was serving a life sentence in connection with the kidnapping, torture and death of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena Salazar. The Mexican-born undercover agent was investigating drug cartels in Guadalajara, Mexico, when he was kidnapped on Feb. 7 1985. "The gruesome nature of this case is extremely unsettling. Our dedicated officers diligently worked on making all the necessary arrangements to ensure Bernabe’s removal was seamless," said Denice Seemiller, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Salt Lake City. "His arrest and removal from the United States sends a clear message that we will not tolerate heinous criminals being released into our communities." The case prompted one of the largest DEA homicide investigations and resulted in the arrest and conviction of Fonseca Carrillo and fellow Guadalajara cartel leaders, Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel Angel Félix Gallardo.