Javier Peña
{{Short description|American DEA agent}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox police officer
|name = Javier F. Peña
|caption =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}}
|birth_place = Kingsville, Texas, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|education = Texas A&M University-Kingsville
|known_for = Hunt for Pablo Escobar
|embed_title = Career
|service_label = Agency
|service = {{nowrap|Webb County Sheriff’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration}}
|serviceyears = 1975–2014
|status = Retired
|image=
}}
Javier F. Peña (born 1958) is an American former Drug Enforcement Administration agent who investigated Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel.{{cite journal |title=Busting Drugs While Paying With Crime: The Collateral Damage of U.S. Drug Enforcement in Foreign Countries |first1=Horace A. |last1=Bartilow |first2=Kihong |last2=Eom |journal=Foreign Policy Analysis |volume=5 |issue=2 |date=2009-04-01 |pages=93–116 |doi=10.1111/j.1743-8594.2009.00085.x|df=mdy-all}}{{cite book |title=Killing Pablo |first1=Mark |last1=Bowden |author-link1=Mark Bowden |publisher=Grove/Atlantic, Inc |date=2007-12-01 |isbn=9780802197573 |oclc=881682814|title-link=Killing Pablo |df=mdy-all}} Peña worked as a consultant on the Netflix series Narcos.{{cite journal |title=Car Bombing Drug War History: How the hit Netflix series Narcos echoes the DEA's version of events, distorting-and commodifying-the rise of Colombia's drug economy. |first1=Lina |last1=Britto |journal=NACLA Report on the Americas |volume=48 |issue=2 |date=2016 |pages=177–180 |doi=10.1080/10714839.2016.1201278|s2cid=78576897 }}
Biography
Peña was raised in Hebbronville, Texas, and graduated from Hebbronville High School. He attended Texas A&M University where he studied sociology and psychology. Peña served as a deputy sheriff for Webb County sheriff’s office in Laredo from 1975 to 1984, and then continued his service with the DEA until his retirement.{{cite web |title=Javier Pena - Narcos, DEA Agent & Stephen Murphy |access-date=2017-12-14 |publisher=A&E Television Networks |url=https://www.biography.com/people/javier-pena-111615 |website=The Biography.com website |date=2017-11-14 }}{{cite web|title = Chasing Escobar|url = https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/chasing-escobar-narcos/|website = Texas Monthly|date = September 9, 2017}} He was involved in the 1985 capture of Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero.{{cite web | url=https://news4sanantonio.com/amp/newsletter-daily/how-san-antonios-javier-pena-of-narcos-helped-in-the-search-for-caro-quintero | title=San Antonio's Javier Pena of 'Narcos' helped take down notorious Mexican drug lords }}
Following the investigation of the Medellín Cartel, Peña worked for the DEA with additional assignments in Puerto Rico, Texas and Colombia. Peña was promoted to special agent in charge of the San Francisco office in 2004, the Caribbean office in 2008, and finally the Houston office in 2011, before retiring in 2014.
In 2019, he published Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar with Stephen Murphy.
In popular culture
Peña is one of the main characters in the three seasons of Netflix TV series Narcos, in which his character is portrayed by Pedro Pascal. Peña himself worked as a consultant on the show. He makes a cameo appearance in the last episode of Season 2, "Al Fin Cayó!", alongside Murphy.{{clear}}
In 2013 TV Series Tres Caínes is portrayed by the Cuban actor Barbaro Marin as the character of Andrew Miller.
References
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Category:Date of birth uncertain
Category:Drug Enforcement Administration agents