INTRODUCTORY FORENSIC SCIENCE

THE ENRIQUE CAMERENA CASE

“A FORENSIC NIGHTMARE

APRIL 14, 2014
“A FORENSIC NIGHTMARE” According to the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, in February 1985 a DEA Special Agent Enrique Camerena was abducted near the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara Mexico. Shortly afterward Captain Zavala a DEA source was too abducted from a care near the Guadalajara Airport, this series of events led to one of the largest and investigations ever conducted by the DEA, resulting in one of the most extensive cases ever received by the FBI Laboratory. The investigation had unusual forensic problems with unusual solutions in regards to solving the crime.

The investigation surrounding the murders of Camerena and Zavala was lengthy and inundated with tribulations. As many as eight suspects were arrested both in the United States and Mexico including Mexican Law Enforcement Officials. Forensic facts included; identifiable samples from the clothing and cordage, burial sheets, fingerprints, fibers and hairs samples from both bodies. The steps obtained by the Crimes Scene Investigators (CSI’s) were not useful. Having the CSI’s to return carry-on and re-assess the location where the bodies were found. Inadequate steps were taken due to the fact that it was discovered this was not the location of the crime, rather than they had been dumped there after the murder had taken place, determined by the comparison of soil samples retrieved from the bodies and the place where they were found and the clothing samples that were soiled from the clothing of the two men the abstractions were not a match. The investigators also looked for important traces of bodily fluids of the committal site where as none were