Family of murdered DEA agent files lawsuit against Mexican cartel four decades after terror designation
Rewritten Article:
When Dora Camarena lay on her deathbed in 2021, her family recalled her wishing to witness the Mexican cartel responsible for killing her son facing justice. Forty years had passed since this horrific event, and now, the widow and sons of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena were taking the Sinaloa Cartel to court, seeking financial reparations from living members of the drug trafficking group.
Myrna Camarena, the slain agent's sister, recounted in a statement, "Justice has been elusive for decades, but it's long overdue. We won't rest until it's served." A federal lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Southern District of California on Thursday, sees Geneva Camarena, her sons, and other family members suing former heads of the Sinaloa and Guadalajara Cartels—entities that allegedly merged in the 1970s.
Known as one of the oldest and most established drug trafficking groups in Mexico, the Sinaloa cartel has for years supplied the vast majority of the marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl trafficked on U.S. streets[1]. In the civil complaint, the Camarena family is seeking compensation for the "tremendous physical, emotional, and psychological damages" they've endured since February 7, 1985, when agent Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and killed while undercover in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Authorities unearthed agent Camarena's body at a Mexican ranch nearly a month later. Mexican courts later convicted cartel kingpin Rafael Caro-Quintero and cartel boss Felix Gallardo, along with other accomplices, for planning and directing the kidnapping of Camarena and his pilot, Alfredo Zavala-Avelar, in an attempt to extract information about DEA operations in Mexico[2].
"It's been 40 years since these gangsters and their ruthless criminal empire ended my husband's life," shared Geneva "Mika" Camarena in a statement to CNN. "We feel incredibly fortunate that President Trump designated the cartels as terrorist organizations, finally allowing my family and me to pursue justice."
Caro-Quintero is the lead defendant in the civil action. He spent over two decades in a Mexican prison before his release on a technicality in 2013, only to be recaptured in 2022 by Mexican forces. On February 27, 2025, the 72-year-old drug lord—known to U.S. law enforcement as "RCQ"—was transported into U.S. custody by Mexican authorities and is currently detained in Brooklyn, facing U.S. charges[3]. In a March court appearance, he pled not guilty to charges related to Camarena's murder and other drug-related charges.
The grief of agent Camarena's sons, Daniel, Eric, and Enrique Jr., has been compounded by the nature of their father's killing, with some family members still grappling with the trauma decades later. "Today, as an adult, Erik finds it difficult to watch violent movies and TV shows without them triggering an emotional response and the question, 'Was this what happened to my father?'" the lawsuit claims[2].
The Camarena family argues they were victims of international terrorism. Their lawyers are relying on the Trump administration's designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), claiming the syndicate's activities—including the murder of Camarena—are acts of international terrorism as defined by U.S. statute[1][2][4]. The suit—which makes other claims, including wrongful death—was filed by Motley Rice LLC, a law firm representing 9/11 families in ongoing litigation against alleged terrorist financiers.
"The renewed hope for a safer, more just world—the world Kiki Camarena fought for—has been restored. We're eager to continue this fight in his honor in court," said Motley Rice anti-terrorism attorney, Michael E. Elsner[3]. This lawsuit could influence other American families affected by the drug war to take incarcerated drug traffickers to civil court if they have connections to cartels deemed terrorist groups.
[1] Congressional Research Service Report, "Drug Trafficking and Violence in Mexico and Central America," Sep 16, 2022.
[2] Associated Press, "Kiki Camarena's family sues Sinaloa cartel in California," Mar 3, 2022.
[3] CBS News, "Family of DEA agent killed by Mexican drug cartel sues cartel leaders in US court," Mar 3, 2022.
[4] Department of State, "Foreign Terrorist Organizations," accessed Mar 3, 2022.
US citizens, including the family of DEA Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, are suing former heads of the Sinaloa and Guadalajara Cartels for their role in the trafficking of fentanyl, among other drugs, which resulted in the death of Agent Camarena in 1985. The Camarena family is grateful for President Trump's designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a terrorist organization, as it allows them to seek financial reparations and justice. Motley Rice LLC, the law firm representing the Camarena family, argues that the cartel's actions, including the murder of Camarena, constitute acts of international terrorism, as defined by US statute.
