INS to Deport Camarena’s Brother : Slain DEA Agent’s Kin Has a History of Drug Addiction

Ernesto Camarena, brother of slain U.S. drug agent Enrique Camarena, is facing deportation to Mexico as an undesirable alien because of a longstanding drug addiction and lengthy criminal record going back to when he was a teen-ager.

Chief Patrol Agent Dale Musegades said Thursday that Camarena, 41, is being held at the Immigration and Naturalization Service detention center in El Centro on $3,500 bond while awaiting a deportation hearing. Camarena, who is a permanent resident alien, was born in Mexicali and came with his family to live in Calexico when he was 10 years old.

Musegades declined to say why Camarena was being deported, except to say that he is in “violation of immigration and nationality laws.” An INS official who did not wish to be identified s1634296864including an addiction to heroin.

Earlier this year, Imperial County Sheriff Oren Fox told The Times that Camarena was a patient at a methadone clinic in Calexico that treats heroin addicts.

“His brother’s addiction was a major reason why (Enrique) joined the Narcotics Task Force and DEA,” Fox said.

Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was killed by Mexican drug traffickers near Guadalajara in February, 1985. A federal grand jury in San Diego is investigating Camarena’s death.

Ernesto Camarena also has a history of arrests for minor offenses going back to when he was 12. He was arrested earlier this month on a trespassing charge and appeared Tuesday at a hearing where a trial date was set for his latest arrest. Border Patrol agents arrested Camarena as he was leaving the courthouse and took him to the alien detention center in El Centro.

“Kiki was a national hero and we were hoping that his case wouldn’t generate much news media interest,” Musegades said. “It’s a shame, but Ernesto’s arrest was the proper way to proceed when an alien violates immigration laws. We would’ve handled it the same way if it had been anybody else’s brother.”

He added that a deportation hearing for Camarena may be held as early as today or next week.

Enrique, who was younger than Ernesto, also was born in Mexicali but became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Another brother, Eduardo, was killed in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Army.