Ricardo Seiya Ortega (リカルド・聖也・オルテガ, Rikarudo Seiya Orutega) is an undercover agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). His work involves infiltrating dangerous organizations known to manufacture and distribute drugs and sending information to his superiors in the United States. He is currently assigned to work in Fukuoka, where he is tracking the movements of the Noma Group using the alias Murakami.
Characteristics[]
Personality[]
Ricardo is a man with a strong sense of both justice and self-preservation. He holds a strong stance against drugs and criminal activity, even if his job as an undercover agent often forces him to break the law himself. He was bold and reckless in his youth, infiltrating organizations and working his way inside, but he carries trauma from being discovered and tortured in the past and so now works more passively to collect information. In addition to the trauma from his torture, he carries a deep-rooted hatred of José Martínez specifically, though this hatred eventually turns into trust and respect.
Background[]
Though his nationality is American, Ricardo is ethnically half-Mexican and half-Japanese, and he was born and raised in Japan. He has been an undercover DEA agent since his 20s, and went by the name Richard Louis during his infiltration of the Veracruz cartel nine years prior to the sixth light novel. After his identity was revealed, he was tortured by the cartel leader's right-hand man, Alex. Though Alex ultimately left him alive and allowed him to escape, the trauma of his torture left Ricardo unable to infiltrate organizations or even contact members of cartels directly, and nightmares of his torture haunt him to the present. Ricardo now works to fight drug trafficking by gathering information and drug samples on the sidelines, largely through surveillance and making contact with information brokers. As soon as he believes the Noma Group is growing suspicious of his presence in the city, he requests a reassignment.
Synopsis[]
Cartel Arc[]
Ricardo meets his drug dealer Yakuin in a bar in JR Hakata City to buy some stimulants procured from the Noma Group. After a few drinks, Yakuin begins filling him in on news regarding the drug organizations in Fukuoka. When Ricardo gets home, he calls his superior in the DEA in Washington, D.C. to fill him in on the latest news, including that the Noma Group is growing suspicious of him. The news that the dealers are looking for the mole in their organization causes him anxiety and nightmares of his own torture nine years prior, and he gladly accepts an offer to return to the States.
Later, when he heads to the Noma Group's headquarters to meet with their boss, Ricardo is shocked to find José Martínez with them.
Quotes[]
"I occasionally forget who I am." (Volume 6, 7th Inning)
"I don't like running away and hiding." (Volume 6, Hero Interview)