Darnell Garcia is a former martial arts champion, author, actor and former DEA agent. At one stage in his martial arts career he was rated 7th in the United States. He had roles in the martial arts films Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones, Blind Rage and Enforcer from Death Row. In the 1990s, Garcia became embroiled in a drug and corruption scandal.
Background Garcia was born in New York and grew up in California,In.com - Darnell Garcia Bio and is of Puerto Rican heritage. His high school years were spent in California. While in Los Angeles, he wasn't the most popular with his neighbors due to his car racing. Garcia was thrown out of Manual Arts High School, but what possibly saved him was his gymnastic skills. The Washington High coach got Garcia on the team and he managed to keep out of trouble until he was able to graduate and get his high school diploma. He worked in a steel plant and then for an aircraft company. He was drafted into the army in 1966.Black Belt, February 1973 - "It's only a game of tag"
According to an article in the Los Angeles Sentinel dated January 21, 2016, Bridal Path Films were in negotiation with major studios to make a movie based on his life.Los Angeles Sentinel, January 21, 2016 - Redemption: Ex-DEA Agent Darnell Garcia tells the truth and nothing but the truth By Brandon I. Brooks, Managing Editor
Martial artist Garcia began training in American Tang Soo Do in 1968 when he enrolled at a Chuck Norris Karate Studio in El Segundo, California. In 1972, Garcia earned his black belt from Chuck Norris under the tutelage of fellow Norris black belt Gheral Taylor. Garcia would then compete as a member of Norris' competition team. At the Grand National Championships, Garcia was fighting in his fifth tournament as a black belt. Garcia fought against Fred Wren and won 7–5.Black Belt, August 1972 - Pages 4p, 50 World Wide Tourneys In December that year, and after only holding his black belt for a year, he competed in the 1972 International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California. Before a crowd of 8000, he won against champion Joe Lewis, taking the Grand Championship title.Black Belt, December 1972 - Page 52 World Wide Tourneys, Garcia for Real-Dethrones Joe Lewis at Internationals Garcia appeared on the cover of the February 1973 issue of Black Belt magazine and featured in a 7-page article.Black Belt, February 1973 - Page 9 Contents
Garcia appeared in the Elvis Presley financed documentary, The New Gladiators, released in 2002. The documentary which was begun in 1974 was deemed missing for many years then finally found and restored.MA Entertainment - The New Gladiators (1974-2002)
Garcia was also the advertising director for Inside Kung Fu magazine.Black Belt, May 1976 - Page 50 My husband's a black belt - Arranged by Stuart Sobel
Film work Actor By the age of 28, he had appeared in Black Belt Jones and Enter the Dragon. Black Belt, January 1976 - Page 26 Man on the Street In Enter the Dragon, along with Mike Bissell and fellow Tang Soo Do instructor, Pat Johnson, he was one of the three hoods who come up to harass John Saxon on the golf course.America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Registry, By Daniel Eagan - Page 694 Enter the DragonBlack Belt, December 1973 - Page 45 BUDO BREEZE by Robert F. Beard He also appeared in Blind Rage and Enforcer from Death Row.Los Angeles Times, December 18, 1988 - 3 Ex-Agents Under Fire : A Look at Their Reputations--and Their Roots - WILLIAM OVEREND The Efren C. Piñon directed Blind Rage, which was filmed in various locations including Manila was a tale about five blind men robbing a bank. Garcia was billed as one of the main actors. The film also starred D'Urville Martin, Leo Fong, Tony Ferrer, and Rick Adair and Fred Williamson.Wrong Side of the Art! - Blind Rage (1978, Philippines) Grindhouse Database - Blind Rage Main Details Garcia worked with Fong and Piñon again in Enforcer from Death Row.Rotten Tomatoes - ENFORCER (1978)Fist of B-List, 3.17.2011 - Enforcer from Death Row (1978) Later he appeared in Death Force, a 1978 film directed by Cirio H. Santiago which starred James Iglehart, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Jayne Kennedy and Carmen Argenziano.American Film Institute - Death Force, Cast:
Other film work In addition to acting, Garcia worked for Fred Williamson with Williamson's company Po' Boy Productions. Garcia's work with Williamson was mainly behind the camera. He had moved into stunt work as well.Los Angeles Sentinel, January 21, 2016 - Redemption: Ex-DEA Agent Darnell Garcia tells the truth and nothing but the truth By Brandon I. Brooks, Managing Editor
Law enforcement career Having been drafted into the army in 1966, Garcia eventually became a military policeman. He took exams during basic training and was only two points away from Officer Candidate School. That was enough to encourage himself to think deeper about where he could head to. He turned down offers to enroll in Warrant Officer Flight School and became a military policeman. After graduating from Leadership Training School in Georgia, he was sent to Anchorage, Alaska. While there he served as a stockade guard, the personal bodyguard to a very senior medical officer and also managed to talk a prisoner out of killing himself. Garcia had seven letters of commendation by the time he finished his military service in 1968. He then returned to Los Angeles.
Prior to his becoming a DEA agent, he was with the LAPD.Thin White Lines, By John P. Sutton - Page 326 In 1985 Garcia was fired by the DEA because he refused a transfer to Detroit. A case was made on the basis of national origin discrimination and it went to court. In 1986 he won his right to be reinstated in a decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.Los Angeles Times - October 06, 1989 - Ex-DEA Agent Hopes to Block His Extradition - Ronald L. Soble
In the early 1990s, Garcia and fellow agents, John Jackson and Wayne Countryman appeared in court for stealing drugs and money laundering. In 1991, Countryman was sentenced to 5 years. In 1997, Garcia was sentenced to 80 years imprisonment for his part in drug trafficking and money laundering. Garcia was eventually released from federal prison in November 2011, having served 21 years.
Publications + Title Isbn Publisher Year Notes # Explosive Instinct and Mind Power Koinonia Productions 1978 Google Books - Title Karate: Explosive Instincts and Mind Power The Fighting Art of Tang Soo Do Unique Publications 1982 Tang Su Do, Roberto Daniel Villalba - Page 158
Filmography + Year Title Role Director Notes # 1973 Enter the Dragon Hood Robert Clouse 1974 Black Belt Jones Unknown Robert Clouse 1975 Bamboo Trap Unknown Ernesto Ventura 1976 The Outside Man Unknown Efren C. Piñon 1976 Ninja Assassins Unknown Marshall M. Borden, Efren C. Piñon 1976 Blind Rage Hector Lopez Efren C. Piñon DVD Details - Darnell Garcia Also Production CoordinatorHollywood.com - Darnell Garcia 1977 Mr. Mean Unknown Fred Williamson Uncredited roleDarnellgarcia.com - Filmography 1978 Death Force Hitman Cirio H. Santiago 1984 Killpoint Karate Fighter Frank Harris BFI - Darnell Garcia, Filmography 2001 Wolfen Unknown Michael WadleighJohn D. HancockRupert Hitzig Uncredited role 2002 The New Gladiators Himself Bob Hammer Black Belt, December 2002 - Page 71 Elvis and Ed Parker on Tape
References
External links Imdb: Darnell Garcia Website