Who was the CIA agent involved in the interrogation of Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena?
Executive summary
The reporting that exists names former CIA operative Félix (Félix Ismael) Rodríguez as the primary CIA figure accused of participating in or being present during the interrogation and torture of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, an allegation advanced in recent documentaries and press coverage [1] [2]. However, that claim rests on witness testimony and film-makers’ reconstruction rather than a public legal finding, and both Rodríguez and the CIA have formally denied involvement while U.S. prosecutors have been re-examining evidence, including interrogation tapes [1] [2] [3].
1. The specific name most frequently identified: Félix Rodríguez
Multiple recent outlets and a prominent docuseries point directly at Félix Rodríguez as the CIA officer alleged to have been at Camarena’s interrogation, with The Guardian reporting that the Justice Department’s discovery includes material that prompted speculation a former CIA officer — named by witnesses as Rodríguez — may appear on the tapes [1], and the Amazon docuseries “The Last Narc” foregrounds testimony asserting Rodríguez’s involvement [2].
2. Who is making those accusations and on what basis
The allegations come largely from former DEA investigators and interviewees in documentaries — notably retired DEA agents Hector Berrellez and Phil Jordan — who say Mexican investigators and former colleagues told them CIA operatives, including Cuban-American operatives, were present and that one of those operatives corresponded to Félix Rodríguez [4] [5] [3]. Filmmakers and journalists have compiled those assertions into narratives that also invoke related Iran–Contra-era ties and covert logistics, arguing motive and opportunity for CIA involvement [2] [6].
3. Alternate names, descriptions and documentary reconstructions
Some accounts and interviews reference other figures and descriptions — a Cuban interrogator nicknamed “Max Gomez” in the documentary and media retellings, and anonymous “Cubans” or CIA contract pilots appearing in older interviews — showing that the testimony is not uniform about a single, clearly identified operative [7] [5]. Investigative pieces note variations in witness memory, partial tape releases and recovered transcripts that have fueled differing reconstructions of who exactly asked questions during the interrogation [8] [4].
4. Official positions, evidence in hand, and why the record remains contested
The CIA and Félix Rodríguez have vehemently denied any role in Camarena’s abduction, torture or killing, and reporting underscores that no U.S. court has adjudicated CIA complicity; more recently the Department of Justice’s handing over of audio material to defense counsel in a separate case has reopened questions but has not produced a public judicial finding that a CIA agent tortured Camarena [1]. Journalists note missing or withheld tapes and competing witness accounts as reasons the historical record is disputed, and some investigative participants caution that documentary narratives mix proven facts, recollection and interpretation [6] [1].
5. Bottom line — who was the CIA agent, based on available reporting
Reporting and the documentary record most commonly point to Félix (Ismael) Rodríguez as the CIA operative alleged to have been involved in Enrique “Kiki” Camarena’s interrogation, but that identification is an allegation supported by witness testimony and media productions rather than a judicially established fact, and both Rodríguez and the CIA deny the claim while U.S. prosecutors have only recently revisited tapes and evidence [1] [2] [3]. Given the limits of available public documents and the acknowledged disagreements among witnesses, the most accurate answer is that Félix Rodríguez is the name most frequently cited by accusers and producers of the recent documentary, but his involvement remains disputed and unproven in open court as of the cited reporting [2] [1] [9].