In the show, Escobar needs some records destroyed, and offers rebel group M19 piles of cash to attack the palace and burn the records in the confusion. Special Agent Watson was assigned to the DEA Cartagena, Colombia Resident Office at the time of the incident and was on official travel to Bogota as part of a maritime drug smuggling investigation. Since 1920, when federal narcotics efforts were a function of the Internal Revenue Service, 31 drug agents have been killed in the line of duty, not including those shot Friday. Fighting the war on drugs is apparently not always very precise work. According to the real Jorge Salcedo, Cali's hit men would do things like pull people apart using two vehicles driving in opposite directions. As a result, the shift in Season 3 to the Cali cartel risked alienating viewers who'd been tuning in to watch Murphy and Pena take down Escobar. In return, these incredibly costly enforcement experiments have largely failed to actually limit people's consumptive habits. Another agent was also shot but not killed in the operation. Episode 1 "The Kingpin Strategy". But while in Narcos, the accusation is enough to make Escobar leave, in real life, he tried to turn the tables by accusing Bonilla of being a client of (irony alert) Colombia's cartels. See our Wall of Honor page for more information and a list of our fallen FBI Family members. While the DEA does its best to keep many of its dealings out of the public eye -- it regularly claims secrecy is imperative to the success of its anti-drug operations -- here are some of the most sketchy, messed up things that we know it has done: The DEA claimed Prohibition was a success. A few hours later, agents realized they'd ransacked the wrong home. A central part of the drama is how this affects the characters around him, especially his young, naive wife Tata. The fatal shot that was said to have killed him was one to the right ear. Special Agent Leamon was a member of DEAs foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Team Echo, assigned to Afghanistan. Most notably, this includes Joe Toft, who really did go on the record in September 1994 to call Colombia a "narco democracy" and accuse President Ernesto Samper of being bought and paid for by the Cali cartel (via UPI). A DEA agent shot himself in a classroom full of children. The shift in Season 3 to the Cali cartel saw a whole slew of new characters added to Narcos' roster. Honduran police initially called the mission a success, but an investigation by journalists and human rights activists later revealed the truth -- the victims of the anti-drug operation that night were on a boat entirely unconnected to the supposed smuggling activity. It was only when a newspaper resurfaced his conviction for cocaine possession that Escobar finally got the Congressional boot. A few hours later, agents realized they'd ransacked the wrong home. But it also does a disservice to the real Connie. Confidential informants people who pose as criminals so they can provide information to the police or some government agency have helped crack some major U.S. cases. In addition to the drug charges, Blanco pleaded guilty to three murders. While the show is right to say the real Agent Pena was out the country when Escobar was finally taken down, the real Murphy was miles away from the action. Season 3. He was 36 years of age at the time of his death. The Tucson incident was one of three shootings in the past week that left at least 4 agents killed or wounded. Here's how you know Well, one of the reasons it was so odd was because the writers did with the plot what any good mule would do with a condom full of Escobar's marching powder: They pulled it out their butts. In real life, they were a feared fighting force of nearly 2,000 that disarmed under a government peace plan. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Copyright 2021. September 16, 1988. The FBIAA hopes that all Americans will join us in condemning these abhorrent acts of violence.. Two Mexican nationals living in south Texas were later arrested and charged with murdering a federal agent as well as possession of intent to distribute 303 pounds of marijuana. They helped Colombian authorities track down cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, who was killed by the Colombian National Police in 1993. The real-life Colonel Carrillo was Colonel Hugo Martinez. Hollywood Reporter quotes her as saying of Escobar-era Colombia, "I would have never left my husband there!". Or should we say, he liked the girls. At the time, Colombia was known as the center point for the world's drug trade . The girls were later handcuffed. U.S. officials defended the DEA's involvement, claiming agents didn't fire any rounds during the mission, but the incident sparked aggressive local protests calling for the DEA to leave the area. Hence their effectiveness as part of Los Pepes. According toNACLA,Cali was the first major cartel to arise in Colombia, but it had no interest in being the only one. Elena Nicolaou. Borrowing a tie, he goes to spend his first day as a representative, only to be denounced as a narco. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Per the Miami Herald, it undermined the effectiveness of crucial scenes. U.S. officials announced new indictments on Friday accusing top leaders of the Sinaloa cartel of pumping copious amounts of the deadly drug fentanyl into the United States and wielding ruthless. Even though the Drug Enforcement Administration has been around since 1973, many people aren't familiar with the agency's responsibilities, mission, and impact on Americans' day-to-day lives. The reason is that Berna only had a relationship with Search Bloc itself and not the DEA. While Pacho's position meant he was immune from such treatment, he was the lucky one. She wants him to surrender and get a sweet deal, or at least take the family and leave Colombia for good. Its mission was to keep the nation off and away from drugs, which, at least according to the White House, were a moral evil and catalyst of criminal behavior. Most of Narcos' poetic license is used to make real events more interesting, but not this time. "He was tortured and beaten to. An ABC News report in 2008 found that the DEA lost 91 weapons from 2002 to 2007, often in humiliating, or at least seemingly implausible, fashion. When his children saw news reports about horrific bomb attacks, Escobar would openly tell them, "I planted that bomb." In many ways, Narcos gets its portrayal of Pacho right. But that's not because they were more urbane than Escobar's men. While a DEA spokeswoman has since said that the agency is dedicated to its undercover source's "safety and wellbeing," it's obvious that the original agent's negligence put the informant in needless danger. But while Los Pepes were fact, the wedding bombing itself was pure fiction. Photo: Steve Murphy Print Cite In 1982, FARC began moving into cocaine production and shipping, a move which saw its capacity as an army grow to crazy levels. The dramatic scene was captured on security camera video. $20k - $102k. Springfield, VA 22152. Played by Argentinian actor Alberto Ammann, Pacho is openly gay, which becomes a plot point in Season 3. DEA Special Agent Mike Garbo in an undated photo. Total Pay. Striving to always do so requires passion. Former DEA agent Mike Vigil (left) burning two tons of cocaine in Colombia in 1984. Facebook later told the DEA to stop violating its policies with this bizarre scheme. Personalities shine at A+E Networks EMEA. From Colombia to Afghanistan and from Los Angeles to New York, DEA agents, investigators, analysts, chemists, lawyers, and support staff all work . Since 1920, when federal narcotics efforts were a function of the Internal Revenue. It's also total fiction. He took serious issue with his own depiction and stated that his dad was far crueler than Wagner Moura's portrayal. Special Agent Weston was assigned to the Kabul, Afghanistan Country Office. Kansas City, MO. In 2010, the DEA and the International Association of Chiefs of Police released a report providing key arguments against drug legalization. Moments later, he shot himself in the foot. During a DEA raid in 2007, agents forced their way into a mobile home in California, allegedly shouting obscenities and pointing their guns at the heads of the 11- and 14-year-old girls asleep in the home. Corrupt DEA agents made millions off the drugs they were supposed to be taking off the street. After two seasons depicting all cartel members (not unreasonably) as murderers, Narcos decided to change things in season three with the character of Jorge Salcedo. One agent was found guilty of pocketing $700,000 during the operation and sentenced to two years in jail. Hollywood Reporter explains how producers immediately approached them about selling their stories. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. What started as a routine investigation with DEA agents following up on tips that illegal drugs were being transported on an Amtrak train from California turned deadly as agents closed in on a suspected drug dealer. This is a big, crazy guy with big, crazy appetites. But Connie stayed in Bogota even in the last, desperate 18 months that Search Bloc was tracking Escobar through the slums of Medellin. Attempts by on-scene medical personnel to revive TFO Hanger proved unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. Other times, the damage isn't physical. According to theGuardian, the Cali cartel at one point hired a British mercenary to bomb Escobar's estate from a military attack helicopter. In both cases, officials claimed the suspects were armed and refusing to surrender, but the episodes nonetheless underscored emerging concerns about the DEA's respect for Honduran sovereignty. Still, it's hard to feel sorry for a guy who once helped his father run a drug empire even larger than Pablo Escobar's. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Copyright 2021. Over the next four decades, with most drug policy now firmly in the grips of law enforcement officials, the DEA's annual budget saw a fortyfold increase, going from a paltry $75 million to nearly $3 billion in 2014. How to Become a DEA Agent The DEA's hiring process can take up to 12 months, so aspiring DEA agents should be on the lookout for job announcements on the agency's official website. Still, the DEA chief recently suggested that the push toward legalization only drives the agency to "fight harder.". A DEA agent left important case documents lying around a suspect's house. The showrunners used him as a useful receptacle for stuff many DEA agents did at the time. Showrunner Eric Newman put it like this: "we've sort of put Pena as our one continuous character and made him representative of the DEA and the management in Colombia at the time," which is producer speak for "yeah, it's all bull poop, but it's poop that makes excellent TV!". 1 Fallen K9. A federal judge ultimately barred the DEA from enacting such restrictions, finding that "the government cannot ban inherently legal objects that are used in expressive communication because a few people use the same legal item to enhance the effects of an illegal substance.". Who'd have thought it? Bystanders came to his aid, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. State and local governments are increasingly acknowledging through policy shifts that marijuana is less harmful than those more potent drugs. Last Updated September 2, 2017, 6:30 AM. He was 37 years of age at the time of his death. Open Tuesday - Saturday In effect, the bombing sets up the creation of the very-real anti-Escobar hit squad Los Pepes, who terrorized the Medellin cartel from 1990-93. At some point, Chong began to carve "sorry mom" into his arm with broken glass from his eyeglasses, which he ate before being released. This triggers a chain of events that winds up with Cali allying with right-wing paramilitaries and the wife of a dealer murdered by Escobar, Judy Moncada (Dolly Moncada in real life), to bring the war onto the streets of Medellin. But while you might have assumed the alliance between Pena and Don Berna was fictionalized for the sake of narrative simplicity, you probably wouldn't have assumed that it was entirely made up. How much does a DEA Agent make? After spending two seasons lurking around looking menacing, Juan Sebastian Calero's Navegante emerged in Narcos' third season as a brutal hit man with a love of intimidation, torture, and other things that would be a major no-no on your average Tinder profile. Ahead of season two's premier in 2016, Juan Pablo Escobar sat down with Spain's El Pais to complain about the show. Sometimes, life is stranger than fiction. , Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Ralph N. Shaw of the Calexico, California District Office died May 14, 1976, in a plane crash north of Acapulco during an operations flight in support of Mexico's opium eradication program. Those killings came just a month after DEA agents took part in an anti-smuggling operation that led to the deaths of four innocent Hondurans, including a pregnant woman. [CDATA[// >