In 1985, the war against drugs was already raging. A special agent by the name of Kiki Camarina was assigned to the Guadalajara, Mexico office. He was very close to capturing the biggest cocaine and marijuana traffickers in the country.
Kiki was born in Mexicali Mexico and graduated high school in California. He joined the United States Marine Corps and then signed in with the Calexico police department. He began working in Narcotics in 1973. He later joined the DEA. For four and a half years he tracked these notorious drug traffickers. He was on the doorstep of cracking open this drug pipeline when, on February 7, 1985, he was kidnapped, tortured, beaten and killed. His body was discovered March 5, 1985. Kiki left behind a wife and three small children.
Shortly after Kiki Camarina’s death, Congressman Duncan Hunter, and a friend, Henry Loranzo organized Red Ribbon Week. People, especially children, wore red ribbons and pledged to live a drug free life. Nancy Reagan brought it National attention and it is celebrated throughout the country now.
We celebrate Red Ribbon Week to honor the sacrifices of those brave souls like Kiki Camarina and others like him.
We celebrate Red Ribbon Week to affirm commitment to live drug free and not further the endeavors of the drug cartels. We celebrate those who live without drugs as well as those who choose to leave drugs behind and live drug free. We celebrate those who have and will overcome drug addiction and find a better life on the bright side of the world.
Now, groups and communities celebrate Red Ribbon Week in a variety of ways. There are often community events aimed at getting the message out about the dangers of drugs. Being drug free and living drug free are good reasons to celebrate. Every year the celebrations get bigger. This may be due to the fact that every year, more people who used to be on drugs give them up and put that life behind them.
Kiki Camarina is not the only DEA agent who has lost his life in the line of duty. He lost his life trying to keep drugs off the streets and out of the hands of our children and citizens. Celebrate the choices we have and the power to say “No”. Celebrate our free will and celebrate our ability to stand back up if we have fallen.
