U.S. marshal explores Santa Muerte origins, ties to crime

Before the leader of the Catholic Church touched down in Juarez this week, a Borderland expert said the pope might attract people who practice a “twisted, dangerous version of saint worshipping” that’s not Catholicism.

Criminal organizations like the Italian Mafia or the drug cartels often use of Catholic imagery, like the Santa Muerte or Saint of Death, as a way to legitimize their operations.

But the Catholic church considers Santa Muerte to be satanic, said Robert Almonte, the U.S. Marshal for Texas’ Western District.

Almonte has traveled throughout Mexico to research Santa Muerte, and he gives presentations to law enforcement on Santa Muerte because of its connection to drug trafficking.

“A lot of these drug traffickers are involved in brutal acts of violence: killing people, torturing, beheading people and a lot of these people pray to Santa Muerte,” Almonte said. “And they truly believe that in spite of all the evil that they’ve done, they truly believe that Santa Muerte is going to take them to heaven.”

The exact origins of Santa Muerte are unknown, but Almonte believes they date back to the Aztecs.

“(In) my opinion, the research I’ve done, Santa Muerte goes back to the pre-Christian beliefs of the Aztecs’ god of death,” Almonte said. “Back then they would sacrifice people to Santa Muerte.

Nowadays, Santa Muerte has morphed into an unsanctioned mix of Catholic and dark beliefs, many times displayed in the hideouts of cartels.

“What’s interesting is that very often they’ll have Catholic saints there as well,” Almonte said. “The most popular saint that they’ll have is that they, drug traffickers, pray to in Saint Jude and Saint Jude is the patron saint of lost causes and difficult situations.”

Even though the vatican has explicitly denounced Santa Muerte, Almonte said her believers often revere the pope and profess they are Catholic.

Almonte said he once saw a Santa Muerte church in Mexico City that the government ultimately tore down.

“The whole church was nothing but Santa Muerte and a crucifix there, but they also had a photo of Pope John Paul II there, too,” Almonte said.