Drug Wars: The Camarena Story

Reception

John J. O'Connor of The New York Times noted that the amoral entrepreneurs provided some of the film's juicier roles, singling out Benicio del Toro as effective as Rafael Caro-Quintero. Matt Roush of USA Today wrote that for a Michael Mann production there was surprisingly little flash, but the miniseries' chief strength was its grit and anger.

Craig MacInnis of the Toronto Star described the dramatic scenes as never less than convincing, comparable to good propaganda. The series won Outstanding Miniseries at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing. Steven Bauer received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.

Connections to other media

Four actors from Drug Wars: The Camarena Story later appeared in the Oscar-winning film Traffic, another story about the U.S.-Mexico drug trade. In Drug Wars, Miguel Ferrer and Steven Bauer are DEA agents, while Benicio del Toro and Eddie Velez play drug traffickers. In Traffic, Ferrer and Bauer play traffickers, while del Toro and Velez portray a Mexican federal agent and a DEA agent.

Did You Know?

• Concerns over the subject matter discouraged shooting on-location in Mexico, so filming took place mainly in Spain.
• A follow-up television film, Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel, aired in 1992.