In the 1980s, as part of the United States War on Drugs, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led two very different international missions, Operation Padrino and Operation Leyenda. The first being Operation Padrino, which occurred in Mexico, where DEA Agents actively worked undercover to expose and take down violent drug organizations. DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was one of the Agents assigned to the operation and was reported to have successfully infiltrate three powerful Mexican drug cartels and had enough evidence to halt a 3 to 8 billion dollars illegal grow and export operation. One of the organizations being the Guadalajara Cartel, the largest group trafficking drugs in Mexico at the time. Moreover, in 1985, Mexican federal
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Operation Leyenda to this day is known as the largest international homicide investigation ever. Over the course of five years, the United States disassembled three major cartels, arrested three narcotics kingpins involved in the murder of Agent Camarena, and arrested 40 others (Grayson 2014). Further, the United States called out Mexico’s widespread corruption, leading to the near dispersion of the Mexican intelligence agency. Moreover, the United States took advantage of Mexico’s unwillingness to cooperate in the investigation, by forcing the nation to accept the United States anti-drug policies, by threating to impose economic sanctions (Toro 1999). Additionally, through covert operations, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched two missions in which, the United States abducted two Mexican citizens involved with the murder of Agent Camarena and brought them back to the United States to stand trial in the court of law (Isikoff 1990). Moreover, the case involving the abduction of Doctor Alvarez-Machain made it to the Supreme Court on two separate occasions, in which the Court sided with the United States both times. Subsequently, after establishing legal precedence involving Alien Tort claims, and forcible extradition both abducted individuals were released to Mexico due to lack of
Operation Leyenda to this day is known as the largest international homicide investigation ever. Over the course of five years, the United States disassembled three major cartels, arrested three narcotics kingpins involved in the murder of Agent Camarena, and arrested 40 others (Grayson 2014). Further, the United States called out Mexico’s widespread corruption, leading to the near dispersion of the Mexican intelligence agency. Moreover, the United States took advantage of Mexico’s unwillingness to cooperate in the investigation, by forcing the nation to accept the United States anti-drug policies, by threating to impose economic sanctions (Toro 1999). Additionally, through covert operations, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched two missions in which, the United States abducted two Mexican citizens involved with the murder of Agent Camarena and brought them back to the United States to stand trial in the court of law (Isikoff 1990). Moreover, the case involving the abduction of Doctor Alvarez-Machain made it to the Supreme Court on two separate occasions, in which the Court sided with the United States both times. Subsequently, after establishing legal precedence involving Alien Tort claims, and forcible extradition both abducted individuals were released to Mexico due to lack of