Suspect in DEA Agent’s Death Seized

Federal authorities in Los Angeles disclosed Friday that they had arrested Juan Jose Bernabe-Ramirez, a former Mexican policeman wanted in connection with the 1985 killing of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena, charging him with murder and conspiracy.

Federal magistrate Ralph J. Geffen ordered Bernabe-Ramirez held without bail after a brief court hearing. Assistant U.S. Atty. James Walsh said Bernabe-Ramirez should be detained because he was both “a flight risk” and a “danger to the community.”

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aug. 14 and a formal arraignment for Aug. 21. Ann Beich, Bernabe-Ramirez’ court-appointed attorney, said she thought he would plead not guilty.

Bernabe-Ramirez, 30, was arrested Thursday shortly before he was to return to his home in Guadalajara, Mexico, by commercial aircraft, according to an affidavit filed by Douglas W. Kuehl, DEA special agent. Neither Kuehl nor Walsh would say how Bernabe-Ramirez happened to be in the United States.

However, Kuehl’s affidavit states that Bernabe-Ramirez arrived here by airplane July 20, was met by undercover DEA agents and had three subsequent meetings with them. A former member of the Jalisco State Judicial Police, Bernabe-Ramirez has lately been working as a hotel security guard, Beich said.

Bernabe-Ramirez told undercover DEA Agent Hector Berellez at an Arcadia hotel on July 21 that he was present when Camarena was tortured and interrogated Feb. 7, 1985, at a Guadalajara house owned by drug baron Rafael Caro-Quintero. Caro-Quintero is in a Mexican jail on charges of murdering Camarena and his pilot, Alfredo Zavala Avelar. Caro-Quintero also has been indicted for the murder in Los Angeles

“Camarena was very swollen from beatings and near death” when another drug baron, Ernesto Fonseca-Carrillo, arrived at the Guadalajara house, Bernabe-Ramirez told agents. “Bernabe-Ramirez told Special Agent Berellez that Fonseca-Carrillo instructed Caro-Quintero that he (Caro-Quintero) had to go all the way with agent Camarena and finish him off,” according to Kuehl’s affidavit.

Aided Escape

Bernabe-Ramirez told the agents that he helped Caro-Quintero flee from the Guadalajara airport several days after Camarena was kidnaped. He said he and 25 others were alerted that a group of Mexican Federal Judicial Police agents were en route to arrest Caro-Quintero for the kidnaping of Camarena.

“Bernabe-Ramirez told Special Agents Salazar and Berrellez that he and the other members of Caro-Quintero’s entourage pointed fully automatic AK-47 assault rifles” at the Mexican police when they arrived at the airport, the affidavit said. He also said they identified themselves as members of the Federal Security Directorate.

In addition, Bernabe-Ramirez told the agents here that he “saw Caro-Quintero pay a bribe to Mexican Federal Judicial Police Commandante Armando Pavon-Reyes to allow Caro-Quintero to leave the Guadalajara airport.” Pavon-Reyes is also under indictment in the Los Angeles case and is a fugitive.

On April 9, 1985, Fonseca-Carrillo and his drug trafficking organization, including Bernabe-Ramirez were arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, by the Mexican army, according to the affidavit. However, Bernabe-Ramirez told the agents here that he managed to convince interrogating Mexican police officials that he had been a “mere servant” for Fonseca-Carrillo in Puerto Vallarta and was released.

In fact, Bernabe-Ramirez told the agents here, he had been Fonseca-Carrillo’s bodyguard and confidant, according to the affidavit. Fonseca-Carrillo has been in custody in Mexico City since 1985 on charges stemming from the Camarena case.

Bernabe-Ramirez also told the agents that he knew Raul Lopez-Alvarez, one of three men who was convicted of murdering Camarena at a trial here last year. He was sentenced to 240 years in federal prison and will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 60 years. Two other men were convicted in the same trial and indictments against six others are pending here.