Drug Wars - The Camarena Story

Following the success of Traffic, this similar 1990 miniseries is being released in movie form. Based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of a DEA agent named Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, Drug Wars: The Camarena Story depicts how Camarena's success burning down a huge field of marijuana in the Mexican desert led to his disappearance--which in turn set off an escalating series of confrontations between drug traffickers, the DEA, and the corrupt Mexican police. Despite low production values, a melodramatic script, and clumsy direction, Drug Wars does paint a complex picture of the political posturing and power struggles among agencies in the U.S., as well as the intricate web of corruption in Mexico, that have turned the drug war into a disastrous mess. Featuring Benicio Del Toro (as a Mexican drug lord), Steven Bauer, Craig T. Nelson, Mel Ferrer, Treat Williams, and Elizabeth Peña. --Bret Fetzer