Narco-saint
In its own language: Narcosantos
from Spanish narcosantos
Folk saints honoured by drug traffickers and other criminals
A narco-saint is a folk saint venerated, and sometimes worshipped, by criminals including drug traffickers, smugglers and money launderers, chiefly in Latin America and the United States. The rites belong to folk Catholicism, though the Catholic Church condemns their veneration, and the Drug Enforcement Administration says the devotion makes cartels bolder.
- Folk saints honoured by criminals, especially in Latin America and the United States
- The Catholic Church condemns the way narco-saints are venerated
- The DEA says devotion makes drug cartels bolder and more dangerous
- Nazario Moreno González and Pablo Escobar were seen as narco-saints after death
- Santa Muerte is among the figures listed as narco-saints
What it is
A narco-saint is a folk saint, a holy figure venerated and sometimes worshipped by criminals. Among the devotees are drug traffickers, smugglers and people who launder money, and the practice is strongest in Latin America and the United States. Its rites belong to folk Catholicism, but the Catholic Church condemns the way these figures are honoured. People who are not criminals may also show them respect, though criminal groups are said to take the devotion furthest. The Drug Enforcement Administration holds that narco-saints make drug cartels bolder and more dangerous, since traffickers who worship them are described as not fearing death.
Where it comes from
The category grows from folk sainthood, the popular honour given to a figure as a saint. Drug cartel leaders have tried to cast themselves as modern folk heroes, often with a religious element, and have gathered personal followings where they lived. After such a leader dies, followers may begin to regard him as a narco-saint. Two drug lords are named in this connection: Nazario Moreno González and Pablo Escobar, both seen by followers as narco-saints once dead. The devotion is reported in Latin America and the United States.
Narco-saint, drawn and placed
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
- Lineage
- folk Catholicism
What it is for
The devotion is offered by people involved in crime, including drug traffickers, smugglers and money launderers, and also by some outside criminal life. For criminal groups, the figures are said to give courage: the Drug Enforcement Administration argues that worship leaves traffickers unafraid of death and, through that, makes cartels more dangerous. Cartel leaders have used religious imagery to present themselves as folk heroes and to build loyalty around their own persons.
Who does it
Those who honour narco-saints are described first as criminals: drug traffickers, smugglers and money launderers. The practice is not confined to them, since people outside criminal life may also venerate the figures, but criminal organisations are said to push the devotion furthest. Cartel leaders have a special place, presenting themselves as folk heroes with a religious flavour and gathering personal followings. No priesthood, training or formal appointment is described in the accounts of these devotions.
Peoples and places
The veneration is reported particularly in Latin America and the United States, and the related term narcoculture is tied to Mexico. The figures classed as narco-saints include Jesús Malverde, Santa Muerte, Sarita Colonia, Maximón, the Holy Infant of Atocha, Jude the Apostle and Raymond Nonnatus. Followers came to see two drug lords, Nazario Moreno González and Pablo Escobar, as narco-saints once they were dead. The category therefore mixes devotional figures with dead cartel leaders.
At a glance: who, where and when
Who does it
Belief worlds
What people believe
The rites belong to folk Catholicism, a form of Catholic devotion. Narco-saints are folk saints, holy figures honoured within that devotion, and the Catholic Church condemns the manner of their veneration. Followers may venerate the figures as saints, and some are said to worship them. Criminal groups are said to go further than other devotees. The Drug Enforcement Administration links the devotion to an outlook in which traffickers do not fear death, and cartel leaders have borrowed religious language to present themselves as folk heroes.
Cautions and what is closed
The devotion is tied to serious crime. Its devotees are described as including drug traffickers, smugglers and money launderers, and the Drug Enforcement Administration says the devotion makes cartels more dangerous because traffickers lose their fear of death. Some people devoted to Santa Muerte are said to have offered human sacrifice for drug cartels. That is a grave accusation attached to particular cases. The Catholic Church condemns the means by which narco-saints are venerated. Cartel leaders' cults of personality are also part of the picture.
Compare and confuse
Narco-saints are a subset of folk saints, popular holy figures honoured within Catholic culture. The Spanish term is narcosantos. Related subjects named alongside them are narco-Pentecostalism and narcoculture in Mexico. The list of notable narco-saints mixes figures such as Jude the Apostle and Raymond Nonnatus with Santa Muerte, Jesús Malverde, Maximón and Sarita Colonia.
Today
The devotion is reported today among criminals and some others in Latin America and the United States. Cartel leaders still style themselves as folk heroes with religious elements and gather personal followings. The Drug Enforcement Administration treats narco-saints as a live factor in cartel behaviour and argues that worship makes traffickers less afraid of death and organisations more dangerous. Once Nazario Moreno González and Pablo Escobar were dead, followers kept them in view as narco-saints.
Questions people ask about Narco-saint
What is a narco-saint?
A folk saint venerated, and sometimes worshipped, by criminals, among them drug traffickers, smugglers and money launderers. The devotion belongs to folk Catholicism, though the Catholic Church condemns how these figures are honoured.
Where is the practice found?
Chiefly in Latin America and the United States. The related term narcoculture is tied to Mexico. The figures classed as narco-saints include Jesús Malverde, Santa Muerte, Sarita Colonia, Maximón, Jude the Apostle and Raymond Nonnatus.
Who becomes a narco-saint?
The category includes devotional figures such as Santa Muerte and Jesús Malverde, and also dead drug lords. Followers came to see Nazario Moreno González and Pablo Escobar as narco-saints once they were dead.
Why does the DEA warn about narco-saints?
The Drug Enforcement Administration says the devotion emboldens drug cartels and makes them more dangerous, particularly because traffickers who worship these figures are described as not fearing death.
Is human sacrifice part of the practice?
Some people devoted to Santa Muerte are said to have offered human sacrifice for drug cartels. That is a grave accusation attached to particular cases, not a description of the devotion as a whole.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Narco-saint", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-21.
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