Roll of Honor
Enrique Salazar Camarena
Incident
Special Agent Enrique Camarena was abducted and murdered by drug traffickers while working an undercover assignment in Mexico on February 7th, 1985. He was tortured until he died two days later. His body was not located until March 5th, 1985. One of the subjects who participated in his torture and murder was ordered released by a 9th Circuit Court judge who ruled that the man had been arrested illegally. The suspect had been captured by bounty hunters in Mexico, taken to El Paso, Texas, and turned over to the DEA. A second subject was acquitted and four others were found guilty and sentenced to serve time in Mexico. In August 2017 the leader of the Guadalajara Cartel was convicted of Agent Camarena's murder and sentenced to 37 years in prison. Agent Camarena was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He had served with the DEA for 11 years and had previously served with the Calexico Police Department and Imperial County Sheriff's Department in California. He is survived by his wife and three children. His remains were cremated and scattered over Mt. Signal between Mexico and the United States.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-83A76353- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Special Agent Camarena gave the United States Department of Justice 11 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Enrique Salazar Camarena served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Special Agent Enrique Salazar Camarena is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, 18 of 38 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Enrique Salazar Camarena's cause is highlighted.
How Enrique Salazar Camarena Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 37 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Enrique Salazar Camarena is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Enrique Salazar Camarena was killed by person.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
37 officers from United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
