In a development that has reignited one of the most controversial cases in U.S.-Mexico relations, a declassified U.S. government document has linked Mexican politician Manuel Bartlett Díaz to the 1985 abduction and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. The document, released in 2024 under the Freedom of Information Act, includes a memorandum sent from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to the FBI Director in March 1986.
At the time of Camarena’s death, Bartlett served as Mexico’s Secretary of the Interior (Gobernación), a powerful cabinet position. The memo reveals that U.S. agents strongly suspected Bartlett of collaborating with drug traffickers involved in Camarena’s kidnapping and murder. It references interviews with confidential sources who claimed Bartlett attended meetings with cartel leaders before and after the crime.
Although the document is heavily redacted, it underscores long-standing suspicions that high-ranking Mexican officials may have protected or even facilitated cartel operations during the 1980s. The memo also warns that Bartlett’s presence in the United States could lead to his immediate detention for questioning, as his name appears repeatedly in the still-open investigation.
Bartlett, who currently heads Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), has never been formally charged or prosecuted in connection with the case. However, the release of this document has renewed public scrutiny and political debate in both countries. Critics argue that the revelations highlight a historic pattern of impunity for powerful figures in Mexico, while others caution against concluding unproven allegations.
The Camarena case remains a symbol of the dangers faced by anti-narcotics agents and the deep entanglement of organized crime with political structures. Nearly four decades later, the declassified memo adds a new layer to a case that continues to cast a long shadow.
Source: Proceso
